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Epidemiology of urticaria in German children
Petra Staubach1, Caroline Mann1, Adriane Peveling-Oberhag1
1Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany.
Insights
Pediatric urticaria affects 1.7% of children, with prevalence decreasing by age. Children with urticaria show higher rates of atopic diseases, autoimmune conditions, and mental health issues, indicating a need for targeted screening and care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric dermatology
- Epidemiology
- Public health
Background:
- Epidemiological data and comorbidity information for pediatric urticaria are currently limited.
- Such data are essential for developing effective healthcare strategies for children with urticaria.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze epidemiological patterns and comorbidity prevalence in pediatric urticaria.
- To provide data for improved healthcare design and management of pediatric urticaria.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of routine health insurance data (DAK-Gesundheit) in Germany from 2010-2015.
- Inclusion of individuals under 18 with confirmed urticaria diagnoses (ICD-10) and comparison to a control group without urticaria.
Main Results:
- Urticaria was diagnosed in 1.7% of 313,581 pediatric patients (under 18).
- Prevalence decreased with age (3.0% in 0-3 years to 1.0% in 14-18 years); boys and girls were equally affected.
- Comorbidities like atopic diseases (16.0% vs 8.0%), autoimmune diseases, mental health issues, and obesity were more frequent in children with urticaria.
Conclusions:
- The higher prevalence of comorbidities in pediatric urticaria warrants increased screening.
- Development of multimodal treatment strategies and promotion of interdisciplinary collaboration are recommended.
Background:
To date, robust epidemiological metrics as well as data on comorbidity in pediatric urticaria are lacking. They form the basis for the design of efficient healthcare.
Methods:
Retrospective study to analyze epidemiological data in pediatric urticaria. The analysis is based on routine data of a health insurance company operating throughout Germany (DAK-Gesundheit). Insured people under 18 years of age who received at least one confirmed outpatient or inpatient urticaria diagnosis according to the ICD-10 classification in the years 2010 to 2015 were included in the analysis and compared to children without a corresponding diagnosis.
Results:
Of 2.3 million insured individuals, 313,581 (13.5 %) were under 18 years of age (153,214 female). Urticaria was diagnosed in 1.7 % of the 313,581 patients. The prevalence of urticaria decreased with age from 3.0 % in the 0-3-year age group to 1.0 % in the 14-18-year age group. Boys and girls were almost equally affected in all age groups. Atopic diseases as comorbidity occurred more frequently in children with urticaria than in the control group (16.0 % vs. 8.0 %). Autoimmune diseases, mental health problems, and obesity also occurred more frequently in children with urticaria than in the control group.
Conclusions:
The increased prevalence of specific comorbidities in children with urticaria suggests an increased need for screening. Multimodal treatment strategies need to be developed and interdisciplinary collaboration promoted.
