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Weight counseling in pediatric hidradenitis suppurativa patients
Barbara Reichert1, Esteban Fernandez Faith2, Katya Harfmann2
1Oakview Dermatology, Springfield, Ohio.
Insights
Few pediatric hidradenitis suppurativa patients receive weight counseling, despite obesity worsening the condition. Primary care providers initiate most referrals, highlighting a gap in specialist involvement for managing this chronic disease.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dermatology
- Chronic Inflammatory Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, debilitating skin condition that can affect children and adolescents.
- Overweight and obesity are recognized as factors that exacerbate HS severity.
- Weight management counseling is often insufficient for pediatric HS patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the rate of weight counseling provided to pediatric HS patients.
- To identify the medical specialties most frequently involved in managing these patients.
- To assess referral patterns to weight management services.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of medical charts for pediatric HS patients (2011-2018).
- Collection of demographic data, anthropometric measurements (height, weight, BMI), and BMI percentiles.
- Analysis of departmental visits and referrals to a specialized weight management center.
Main Results:
- 535 pediatric HS patients were analyzed; 79.6% were female, with a mean age of 14.5 years at diagnosis.
- Overweight (11.6%) and obese (54.2%) patients constituted the majority.
- Only 32.1% of overweight/obese patients received a weight management referral, primarily from Primary Care (not Dermatology).
Conclusions:
- There is a critical need to enhance awareness and education regarding weight management and nutrition for pediatric HS patients.
- Dermatologists and other specialists should increase their role in providing weight counseling.
- Further research is required to evaluate the effectiveness of weight interventions on HS disease severity.
Background/Objectives:
Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic, painful, debilitating disease that may present in the pediatric years. Overweight and obesity are believed to worsen disease severity, but many patients do not receive counseling regarding weight control. The objective of this study is to examine the percentage of hidradenitis suppurativa patients who receive weight counseling as a part of their disease management and which specialties primarily care for these patients.
Methods:
We performed a retrospective chart review of pediatric hidradenitis suppurativa patients between January 2011 and October 2018. Demographic data, height, weight, body mass index, body mass index percentiles, number of visits per department, referrals to the Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition, and referring provider department data were collected.
Results:
A total of 535 pediatric hidradenitis suppurativa patients were reviewed; 79.6% were female, and the mean age at diagnosis was 14.5 years. 11.6% of patients were overweight, and 54.2% were obese. 32.1% of overweight and obese hidradenitis suppurativa patients received a referral to the Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition. The majority of referrals were placed by Primary Care. Dermatology placed 7.1% of the referrals to the Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition for these patients.
Conclusions:
The results suggest that there is a need for increased awareness, education, and counseling on weight management and nutrition for pediatric hidradenitis suppurativa patients. Further studies are needed to determine the success of counseling on weight control and disease severity.
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