Burden of atopic dermatitis in paediatric patients: an international cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background Few large-scale international studies have broadly characterized the burden of atopic dermatitis (AD) across age groups among children and adolescents. Objectives To better characterize the AD burden in paediatric patients by disease severity. Methods This cross-sectional, web-based survey of paediatric patients (6 months to<18 years old) was conducted in 18 countries representing North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East/Eurasia and East Asia. Patients with diagnosed AD were identified based on the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood criteria and self-/parent-report of ever being told by a physician that they or their child had eczema. AD severity was assessed using the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure and Patient Global Assessment. Outcomes included measures of itch, skin pain, sleep, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), missed school days and atopic comorbidities. Results The survey included 1489 children aged 6 months to<6 years; 2898 children aged 6 to<12 years; and 3078 adolescents aged 12 to<18 years diagnosed with AD. Although the burden of mild AD was substantial, paediatric patients with moderate or severe AD had more itch, skin pain, sleep problems and impaired HRQoL, and missed more school days relative to those with mild AD; greater burden was observed among those with severe relative to moderate AD. At least one atopic comorbidity was present in 92.5% of all respondents. Conclusions These results highlight the burden of AD in paediatric patients, especially those with moderate-to-severe disease, and suggest the need for assessments that include the impact of AD on function and daily life.