Prevalence of Skin Diseases among Primary School Children
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15218/zjms.2010.016Keywords:
Prevalence, Skin diseases, Primary school children, ErbilAbstract
Background and objective: Skin diseases constitute serious public health problems throught the world, especially in children. The aim of the study was to determine the preva-lence of skin diseases in primary school children in Erbil city, and its relation to various socio-demographic factors.
Methods: A total of 6915 pupils aged 6-15 years were randomly selected from 32 primary schools using multistage random sampling technique. Data regarding general socio-demographic variables were collected from each student in a specially designed question-naire. Children were clinically examined and the dermatological findings were recorded.
Results: The overall prevalence of skin diseases was 40.6%, Infectious dermatoses have the highest prevalence rate (15.27%), followed by eczematous skin diseases (13.13%). The overall prevalence of skin diseases and infectious dermatoses were significantly higher among females, younger age groups and those of low socio-economic status, while eczematous skin diseases were significantly higher among males.
Conclusions: Skin conditions are common among school children, which may reflect pre-vailing low socio-economic conditions. Relevant health education programs and preventive measures should be implemented.
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