Does visible atopic dermatitis affect quality of life more in women than in men?

BACKGROUND: Studies have suggested that women overreport symptoms in nondermatologic disease. Gender-dependent differences in patients' perception of dermatologic disease are poorly described. The description of possible gender differences in morbidity in a skin disease with comparable prevalence in men and women may therefore provide relevant data.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to examine gender-dependent differences in the self-reported morbidity of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD).

METHODS: Questionnaires from members of the Atopisk Eksem Forening (Danish Association of Atopic Eczema) aged > or = 15 years were analyzed. Data were gathered regarding age, sex, disease duration and severity, and localization of AD, including the results of the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), a quality-of-life questionnaire designed for use in adults (ie, patients aged > or = 15 years).

RESULTS: Questionnaires from 112 patients were analyzed. The final study population comprised 88 females and 24 males; mean age was 35.3 years (range, 15-77 years). For women, a significant positive correlation was found between DLQI score and disease severity (P < 0.001) and also between DLQI score and visible regions affected by disease (P = 0.001); these correlations were not observed in men. For the total number of body regions affected, a significant correlation with severity was found for women (P = 0.001) but not for men. No significant differences between men and women were noted for age, disease duration, overall disease severity, or quality of life as assessed using the DLQI.

CONCLUSION: Self-reported morbidity is highly consistent among women with AD, but not so among men. Normally visible areas of AD appear to affect women significantly more than men.