title: Atopic dermatitis is more severe in children over the age of two who have an increased body mass index.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Childhood obesity increases the risk of developing atopic dermatitis, but no objective measuring tool has been used to determine whether it also affects the severity. Our aim was to determine whether an association existed between increased body mass index (BMI) or weight for length and severity of atopic dermatitis, as measured by the SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children with atopic dermatitis who presented to the emergency department at an urban children's hospital (n = 104) were assessed using the SCORAD index. We assessed the relationship between BMI percentile or weight for length percentile, based on age, and atopic dermatitis severity, using single-variable multinomial logistic regression with odds ratios.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant association was found between BMI >24 and atopic dermatitis severity for children older than 2 years. When analysed separately, a significant association between BMI percentile and SCORAD severity was found in boys but not in girls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that the severity of atopic dermatitis is associated with increased BMI percentile in children older than 2 years, although this association was not apparent in younger ages using weight for length. Our results indicate the need for new avenues in the prevention and treatment of these entities.
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, St Christopher's Hospital for Children, Philadelphia, PA, USA.|Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors: Ioannis
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8396-9022
authors: I
authors: Koutroulis
authors: Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Magnelli
authors: Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Gaughan
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, St Christopher's Hospital for Children, Philadelphia, PA, USA.|Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors: Evan
authors: E
authors: Weiner
authors: Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.|Department of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, St Christopher's Hospital for Children, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors: Panagiotis
authors: P
authors: Kratimenos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: Atopic dermatitis; body mass index; eczema; obesity; severity