Parental perspective of the impact of atopic dermatitis on the quality of life in children in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis is a multifactorial inflammatory skin condition characterized by epidermal barrier disturbances. Approximately, 20% of children worldwide suffer from this condition. Parents' lack of awareness regarding treatment and fear of administering topical corticosteroid therapy to their children are the two primary causes of treatment nonadherence and failure. Uncontrolled atopic dermatitis affects the quality of life of both children and their caregivers. This study aimed to assess the severity of dermatitis and its impact on quality of life in children and its association with parents' level of awareness in Saudi Arabia. This cross-sectional study was conducted over six months. Data were collected using an online questionnaire that measured the quality of life of children using the Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index or Infants' Dermatitis Quality of Life Index, eczema severity using the patient-oriented eczema measure, and knowledge about atopic dermatitis. An independent <i>t-</i>test was used to test for associations between scores and binary categorical variables, while Pearson's correlation was used to analyze correlations between numerical variables. The study included 289 participants. We observed that atopic dermatitis negatively affected the quality of life of children and their families. High levels of parental knowledge and understanding of atopic dermatitis demonstrated a weak correlation with quality of life. Increased knowledge may mitigate the perceived severity and impact of eczema.