Regional distribution of psoriasis in Italy

Abstract

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic disease affecting skin and joints; the prevalence varies considerably within ethnic groups and countries.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of psoriasis across Italy and to identify regional differences.

Methods: The study was conducted in February 2006. A questionnaire was created to survey the prevalence and the geographical distribution of psoriasis in Italy. A representative sample of 3500 families from the contiguous 20 Italian regions was interviewed by a telematic panel.

Results: A total of 4109 individuals were interviewed. The research showed that 2.9% of Italians declared suffering from psoriasis (regional range: 0.8-4.5%); that 52% knew somebody with psoriasis; that 33% knew well the meaning of psoriasis; and that 31% of individuals affected from psoriasis defined the effect on quality of life as high.

Conclusion: In association with the socio-cultural data, this is the first study describing the variation in prevalence of psoriasis among Italian regions.