Prevalence of Skin Disorders (SD) among school going children of semiurban areas in Puducherry.

Aims and Objective: The study is carried out to study the prevalence and the spectrum of Skin Disorders (SD) among school going children of Semi-Urban (SU) areas in Puducherry. Background: Skin Disorders (SD) are one of the commonest health problems faced by the school going children especially among the developing countries. The high prevalence of skin diseases among developing countries could be accounted for poor socioeconomic conditions, poor sanitation, and lack of awareness to seek medical attention. Acne, atopic dermatitis and eczematous conditions are more common in developed countries those with infectious causes are more common in developing countries. They may cause discomfort, psychological effects like embarrassment, stigmatization and loss of confidence. In spite of these consequences, awareness among the public regarding skin diseases is still lacking. This study is hence undertaken to study the current scenario of Skin Disorders (SD) among school children of Semi-Urban (SU) areas in Puducherry. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study carried out among 1000 school going children of 5-15 years of age belonging to Semi-Urban (SU) areas in Puducherry. The children were interviewed based on a prestructured questionnaire and detailed history is entered into the proforma followed by s clinical examination by a Paediatrician. The children with Skin Disorders (SD) are diagnosed based on clinical features and appropriate investigations such as KOH Examination, Gram’s stain, and Wood’s lamp wherever necessary by a Dermatologist. The information thus obtained is analyzed using SPSS Software. Chi square test is used to compare the categorical variables and p-value<0.05 is considered to show statistical significance. Results: The prevalence of skin disorders among the study population is 72%. The children were distributed into 5-10 years (53.5%) and 11-15 years (46.5%). Majority of (44.5%) children of the younger age group had manifestation of Skin Disorders (SD) compared to affected children (27.5%) among the older age group. The association of Skin Disorders (SD) seen more prevalent among Boys when compared to Girls showing statistical significance. Majority of children belonging to Middle Middle class (79.1%) and Lower Middle class (80%) were affected with Skin Disorders (SD) as compared to children of Upper Middle class (43%) and Upper class (4%) with statistically significant association. The skin disoreders were broadly categorised into Infectious dermatoses (51.7%), Non- Infectious dermatoses (38.8%) and Nutritional dermatoses (9.5%). Conclusion: The prevalence of Skin Disorders (SD) among school going children of 5-15 years of age in semi urban areas of Puducherry is found to be high. Majority of children of the younger age group had manifestation of Skin Disorders (SD) compared to children affected among the older age group. The importance of recognizing these common dermatological manifestations has to be inculcated among parents, school teachers and even School Children (SC). Educating the school children regarding the proper sanitation and hygienic practices can increase the chances of improving the health status of the future generation.