Distribution and Recognition of Skin Diseases in Rural Areas / 대한피부과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In many epidemiologic reports of distribution of skin diseases, the outpatients of university hospitals have been the target groups of the analysis. But there has been no epidemiologic study of dermatoses in the field of rural area. OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this study were to investigate the distribution of skin diseases in rural areas and to evaluate the rural population's concept of skin disease and the attitude to their skin problems. METHOD: We analysed the results of interview and responses of questionnaires from 481 residents who visited the local public health centers and the free clinics in the rural areas of Kyonggi-Do and Ulsan city. RESULTS: The results of the study are summarized as follows 1. Of 481 residents, there were 328 females and 153 males. The mean age was 56.6 years old. The residents over 50 years old formed 73.2 percent of total population. 2. The common dermatoses were tinea pedis, onychomycosis, xerosis, seborrheic keratosis, chloasma, pruritus, hand eczema, contact dermatitis, lentigo, seborrheic dermatitis in order of frequency. 3. The cutaneous fungal infection was the most common dermatoses in each study population. 4. To treat skin diseases, 51.2% of the residents visited the drug store initially. 5. The major reason of not taking dermatological care in the rural population was customary habit. 6. The 39.5% of 238 respondents have used self-treatments, and 15.5% of 90 respondents have experienced side effects of self-treatments. 7. On the question about the negative concepts of dermatoses, 61.7% of 462 respondents agreed to the statement that dermatoses look unclean. 8. Half of the 463 respondents thought that dermatologic medicine was harmful. The 50.6% of the 328 respondents had no specific reason, and 34.1% experienced gastrointestinal trouble. 9. The most favorite type of dermatologic medicine was topical agent, which was preferred especially by the group of respondents using nonmedical service including drug store. CONCLUSION: The distribution of the skin diseases in rural areas was similar to other reported results except the high frequency of cutaneous fungal infection. This research could be a basis on the following epidemiologic studies of the skin diseases in rural areas. It is also suggested that the educational program to improve understanding of skin diseases should be performed in the rural areas.