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. 2018 Dec 4;18(1):11.
doi: 10.1186/s12895-018-0079-8.

Assessing skin disease and associated health-related quality of life in a rural Lao community

C I Wootton  1 , S Bell  2 , A Philavanh  3 , K Phommachack  4 , M Soukavong  5 , S Kidoikhammouan  5 , S L Walker  6 , M Mayxay  7   8   9
Affiliations

Assessing skin disease and associated health-related quality of life in a rural Lao community

C I Wootton et al. BMC Dermatol. .

Abstract

Background: Skin diseases are common and often have an impact on an individual's health-related quality of life. In rural communities where access to healthcare may be limited and individuals rely on farming for food and income, the impact of skin diseases may be greater. The objectives for this study were to perform an assessment of skin disease prevalence in a rural village in Laos and assess the associated impact of any skin disease found using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI).

Methods: A rural village was purposively selected and 340 participants examined by dermatologists over a four day period. Brief questionnaires were performed, followed by full body skin examinations and DLQI questionnaires completed were relevant. The data were analysed using chi square and Wilcoxon signed rank tests.

Results: One hundred and eighty-one participants were found to have a skin disease (53%). The six most common skin diseases were: eczema (22%), dermatophyte infections (19%), acne (10%), scabies infestation (9%), melasma (8%) and pityriasis versicolor (4%). Just over half of those with skin disease (51%) completed the DLQI, with scores ranging from 0 to 24. Those with skin problems on examination were significantly more likely to be farmers, have had a previous skin problem, be older or live in a smaller family. Conclusions This study represents the first formal documentation of skin disease prevalence in Laos and establishes the high rate of skin disease in the rural community and the associated impact these diseases have on health-related quality of life.

Keywords: Cercarial dermatitis; DLQI; Eczema; Health related quality of life; Prevalence; Scabies; Tinea.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Ethical approval was granted by the Lao National Ethics Committee for Health Research (041/NECHR; 17/03/2017).

Participants gave verbal informed consent and were asked a brief series of questions about themselves and whether they had had any problems with their skin, hair or nails in the past year. Obtaining verbal consent was deemed appropriate by the Ethics committee: there were several reasons for this including literacy levels in the rural community, possible concern from participants regarding signing official documentation and the wish to be as paper-free as possible. For all participants under the age of 16, consent to participate was granted by their parent or legal guardian.

Consent for publication

Individual consent granted for the use of images.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Dermatophyte infection in the axilla
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Immersion dermatitis
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI)
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Children’s Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI)
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Pityriasis alba
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Cercarial dermatitis
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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