Tinea pedis in underrepresented groups: All of Us database analysis

Area of Science:

• Dermatology and Public Health
• Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases
• Health Disparities Research

Background:

• Tinea pedis is a prevalent fungal infection, particularly affecting the feet.
• The All of Us (AoU) research program aims to include underrepresented populations in biomedical research.
• Understanding tinea pedis prevalence in diverse groups is crucial for targeted public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the prevalence and burden of tinea pedis in underrepresented groups within the United States.
• To utilize the All of Us (AoU) research program's extensive dataset for this evaluation.
• To identify specific demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with higher tinea pedis risk.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of the AoU Registered Tier dataset (version 5, May 2017–April 2021).
• Linking electronic health record (EHR) and survey data to identify tinea pedis cases.
• Multivariate analyses to determine adjusted odds ratios for tinea pedis across different demographic groups.

Main Results:

• The study analyzed data from 329,038 participants, with 251,597 having EHR data.
• Overall tinea pedis prevalence was 2.76%, with higher adjusted odds observed in Black (OR 1.29) and Hispanic (OR 1.38) participants compared to White participants.
• Increased risk was also noted in individuals aged >=75 years, LGBTQ+ individuals, those with less than a high school education, income <$35,000, and physical disabilities.

Conclusions:

• The findings validate the All of Us (AoU) database's scientific consistency with existing epidemiological data.
• There appears to be an elevated burden of tinea pedis among Black and Hispanic populations.
• The study underscores the importance of diverse research cohorts for understanding health conditions across various demographics.