Self reported prevalence of eczema and associated risk factors among under five children in Northern Saudi Arabia: A population based cross sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: Eczema is a very common dermatological disorder that affects children at a high rate and this condition can alter the quality of life by disturbing the sleep activity, cause anxiety, and depressive manifestations. The present survey aimed to assess the self reported prevalence of eczema and its associated factors among the under five aged children. Methodology: This is a cross sectional study conducted at the northern regions of Saudi Arabia (KSA). By using consecutive sampling method, 578 randomly selected participants from the northern KSA completed the pretested data collection. We have applied logistic regression analysis to identify the predictors for the self reported eczema. Results: The results revealed that Eczema among the children was significantly related to mother's education (OR [95% CI] = 1.91 [1.23 - 2.57], p = 0.008), family history of bronchial asthma (OR [95% CI] = 0.71 [0.58 - 0.93], p = 0.013), and family history of eczema (OR [95% CI] = 4.32 [2.61 - 6.96], p= 0.001). Regarding environmental factors, eczema was significantly related to presence of pet animals in the house (OR [95% CI] = 1.68 [1.32 - 2.71], p = 0.001) and history of food allergy (OR [95% CI] = 3.71 [2.33 - 5.83], p<0.001). Conclusion: The present survey's results recommend that the concerned authorities to plan focused health awareness raising campaigns for the public regarding eczema and predisposing factors. Furthermore, exploratory research is warranted to identify the region specific requirements for health education programs.