[Prevalence of atopic dermatitis in school children of Baranya county]

The prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) in children has significantly increased worldwide in the past decades. Although it is well known that the number of AD patients has also been growing in Hungary no prevalence studies on a given population have been performed so far.

The present research investigated the prevalence of AD in school children by means of questionnaires. The data of 1454 (771 girls, 683 boys) children aged 6-14 years in a big city (Pécs, Hungary) and three small settlements (Bóly, Magyarbóly, Villány; Hungary) were analyzed.

Applying the standard point values of the Schultz-Larsen questionnaire the prevalence of AD accounted for 15.1%; it was higher in the big city (16.5%) and lower in the small settlements (13.7%). In girls the prevalence of AD (15.9%) was greater than in boys (14%); this difference was more remarkable in the big city (18.2% vs. 14.8%). The first symptoms of AD appeared before the age of two in 58.8% and it was significantly higher in the big city (63.5%) as in the small settlements (52.6%). Among the 221 AD patients there were 38 patients (17.1%) with asthma and 93 (42.1%) with allergic rhinitis. The AD family (parents, brothers and sisters, great parents) proved to be positive in 72.8%.

The results indicate the high prevalence rate of AD in school children in Baranya County, Hungary reaching or nearly approaching the significantly high values registered in the welfare countries.