Prevalence of common skin diseases among the elderly patients at Assiut University Hospital

ABSTRACT

To identify the prevalence of common skin diseases among elderly patients attending to the Dermatology Outpatient Clinics at Assiut University Hospital. Patient and methods: This study was conducted in Dermatology Out-patient Clinics at Assiut University Hospital. The sample of this study included all elderly patients attending to the previously mentioned setting during one year starting from the first of May 2009 to the end of April 2010. The total numbers of them were 450 elderly patients suffering from skin diseases. An interview sheet, which include Part I It includes items related to socio-demographic characteristics such as age, sex, resident, marital status, level of education. Part II Present, past history of skin diseases, and Family history of skin diseases. Among elderly patients 75.3% aged between [60- <70] years, 68.9% were males and 80.7% from rural areas. Also, 72.2% of the elderly patients had non-infectious skin diseases, while 27.8% of them had infectious skin disease. The highest percent 29.8% of skin diseases among of the elderly patients were in spring season. Less than three quarters of the studied sample had non-infectious skin diseases, while more than one quarters of them had infectious skin disease. Encouragement of the elderly people about the importance of follow up and periodic check-up to detect early health deviation to make early management and to prevent complication or any deterioration of the skin health. Utilizing the mass media, health classes in different health agencies could be achieved to increasing awareness of elderly people about the importance of prevention, early detection and control of skin diseases