International study on prevalence of itch: examining the role of itch as a major global public health problem.
Br J Dermatol
; 2024 Jun 20.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38900904
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Very few studies evaluated the global prevalence of pruritus.OBJECTIVE:
To assess its prevalence according to age, gender, ethnicity, and geographic regions.METHODS:
An international cross-sectional study was conducted in 20 countries from January to April 2023. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire on sociodemographics, confirm the presence or absence of a skin disease in the last 12 months and the presence or absence of pruritus in the last 7 days.RESULTS:
The studied sample included 50552 individuals. The worldwide prevalence of pruritus was 39.8%. The age group ≥65 had the highest prevalence (43.3%). The prevalence was 40.7% among women and 38.9% among men (p<0.001). There was no significant difference between ethnicities (p=0.14). Compared to North America (41.6%), the prevalence of pruritus was significantly lower in Europe (35.9%, p<0.001), Australia (38.4%, p=0.017), East Asia (40.2%, p=0.04), and Latin America (36.5%, p<0.001), and higher in Africa (45,7%, p=0.007). No significant difference was found with the Middle East (40.2%, p=0.36). The prevalence was 40.3% in developed countries and 38.7% in BRICS countries 40.7% (p<10-3).LIMITATIONS:
No information about the severity or type (acute, chronic) of pruritus.CONCLUSION:
Global prevalence of pruritus revealed age, gender, and geographic region differences, with no ethnic differences.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Br J Dermatol
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos