Hygiene practices: Are they protective factors for eczema symptoms?

Exact etiology and proper treatment of eczema are still unknown. The hygiene hypothesis and epidermal barrier dysfunction hypothesis attempted to give some plausible explanations for these issues but they still remain unclear. The identification of factors, including hygiene practices, related to eczema symptoms (ES) could shed some light on these matters. Therefore, this study aimed to determine risk factors related to ES and the ES prevalence in two disparate areas in terms of urbanization in Aceh, Indonesia.

A cross-sectional study with convenience sampling was conducted among schoolchildren living in urban and rural Aceh. Data on ES, socio-demographic characteristics, environmental factors, partial ablution and other hygiene related factors were collected by parental questionnaires. In addition, children's anthropometric measurements were also collected.

The prevalence of current ES in the study population was 21%. When stratifying by residency, the prevalence of ES in urban and rural area was 20.93% versus 21.05%. Partial ablution was independently associated with a reduced risk of ES (OR = 0.36; 95% CI 0.13-0.96). Important risk factors for ES were paternal history of allergic disease (OR = 4.09%; 95% CI 1.51-11.11) and belonging to the older group of schoolchildren (10-13 years old) (OR = 2.57; 95% CI 1.03-6.40).

There were no significant differences in the prevalence of ES between urban and rural settings, and partial ablution had a protective effect on ES. These findings support the epidermal barrier dysfunction hypothesis as a possible pathway of eczema.