ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Previous studies suggest that children with atopic dermatitis (AD) often exhibit psychological, behavioral and familial problems. OBJECTIVE: This study was to assess the relationship between severity of AD and the subject's characteristics. METHOD: Participants included 31 children, aged 7 to 12 years old, who had been treated for AD. They were examined by dermatologists using the Severity Scoring of AD (SCORAD) index, and also completed questionnaires including State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAI-C), coping strategies, and the self-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-S). Participants' mothers were asked to complete the demographic data, Dermatitis Family Impact questionnaire (DFI) and the Korean version of SDQ (SDQ-Kr). All participants completed the wrap-up questionnaires at the end of the AD Camp. RESULTS: In 27 paired participants, the SCORAD index was associated with the number of friends, number of self-avoiding foods, total scores of DFI, subscales of food preparation, cost related to treatment, exhaustion, emotional distress, and the main carer's life. The associations were different according to gender: boys were associated with anxiety, but girls were associated with weight, and number of foods which their mother had avoided to give them. In multivariate analysis, SCORAD was significantly associated with the number of friends. In girls, the cost related to treatment was associated with SCORAD. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the psychological and familial dimensions of AD should be taken into account as a part of AD routine management in Korea. Further research is needed to establish the effectiveness of any comprehensive intervention with atopic dermatitis.