Pediatr Allergy Respir Dis.  2012 Mar;22(1):86-99.

Change in Quality of Life according to the Change in Atopic Dermatitis Severity

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
  • 2Department of Pediatrics, Gwangmyeong Sungae Hospital, Gwangmyeong, Korea.
  • 3Department of Pediatrics, Sahmyook Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
  • 4Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. kmaped@skku.edu
  • 5Environmental Health Center for Atopic Disease, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

PURPOSE
The aim of this study was to longitudinally examine the correlation between the change of atopic dermatitis (AD) severity and the change of quality of life (QOL).
METHODS
We assessed AD severity and QOL of patients and their families, by a prospective followed up for at least 12 months. AD severity was assessed, using the scoring of atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) index. A questionnaire based on dermatitis family impact (DFI), infants' dermatologic quality of life (IDQoL) and children's dermatology life quality index (CDLQI) were used to determine QOL.
RESULTS
Seventy-nine AD patients were assessed for total and objective SCORAD and DFI. Among them, 45 patients that were less than 36 months old completed IDQoL and 13 patients that were equal to or more than 36 months old completed CDLQI. Objective SCORAD (oSCORAD) were correlated with DFI (r=0.235), IDQoL (r=0.602) and CDLQI (r=0.589) (P<0.05). At the 2nd interview, median oSCORAD (from 17.4 to 7.8), DFI (from 23.0 to 18.0) and IDQoL (from 9.0 to 6.0) were significantly decreased (P<0.01). The changes of oSCORAD were linearly related with the change of IDQoL (P<0.01), but neither with DFI (P=0.356) nor with CDLQI (P=0.267). Of the 64 patients with decreased oSCORAD, food allergy was accompanied more frequently in those with an increased DFI than those with a decreased DFI (60.7% vs. 27.8%, P<0.01).
CONCLUSION
In this longitudinal study, the improvement of AD severity is correlated with the improvement of the patient's QOL, under the age of 3. To improve the family's QOL, we need to find out accompanying factors, such as food allergy, and to support the family accordingly.

Keyword

Asthma; Allergic rhinitis; Atopic dermatitis; Immunoglobulin E; Allergen-specific IgE

MeSH Terms

Asthma
Dermatitis
Dermatitis, Atopic
Dermatology
Food Hypersensitivity
Humans
Immunoglobulin E
Longitudinal Studies
Prospective Studies
Quality of Life
Surveys and Questionnaires
Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial
Immunoglobulin E

Figure

  • Fig. 1 Relationship between the changes in objective SCORAD and Quality of life indexes. SCORAD, scoring of atopic dermatitis; DFI, dermatitis family index; IDQoL, infants' dermatitis quality of life index; CDLQI, children's dermatology life quality index.


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