Psoriasis and obesity in French children: a case-control, multicentre study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Dermatology
• Public Health
• Obesity Research

Background:

• Obesity is a known comorbidity in adult psoriasis patients.
• Limited data exists on the association between obesity and psoriasis in pediatric populations.
• This study addresses the knowledge gap in French children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of obesity in French children diagnosed with psoriasis.
• To compare obesity rates in children with psoriasis versus a control group.
• To identify potential risk factors for obesity in pediatric psoriasis.

Main Methods:

• A multicenter case-control study involving 23 French dermatology centers.
• Inclusion of children with psoriasis and age/sex-matched controls without chronic inflammatory diseases.
• Utilized French Health Authority guidelines for defining overweight, abdominal obesity, and obesity categories.

Main Results:

• 261 children with psoriasis were analyzed; mean age 9.8 years.
• No significant difference in general overweight prevalence between groups (20.7% vs 17.1%).
• Significantly higher rates of overweight with abdominal obesity (18.4% vs 10.4%) and obesity (10.0% vs 3.1%) in the psoriasis group.

Conclusions:

• Children with psoriasis exhibit higher rates of abdominal obesity and overall obesity compared to controls.
• Risk factors for obesity in these children mirror those in the general French population: female sex and parental overweight.
• Psoriasis clinical type and severity do not appear to influence overweight or obesity status.