Pattern of dermatoses in Wolaita zone prison setting: a call for improved dermatology services

Skin diseases are not uncommon among prisoners, primarily due to confined living conditions, limited access to proper hygiene facilities, and higher rates of skin-to-skin contact. The study aims to describe the skin disease spectrum among prison inmates Wolaita zone, southern Ethiopia.

A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Wolaita zone prison to determine the spectrum of skin diseases among the prison inmates from January 1 to February 30, 2020. Every inmate with skin complaints underwent a comprehensive skin examination, and a detailed history of their skin-compliant was documented. The diagnosis primarily relied on clinical assessment by dermatologists. The data collected from paper-based abstraction sheets was entered into EpiData entry forms twice to ensure accuracy. A descriptive analysis was performed such as frequencies, mean, standard deviation and median. The statistical significance was set at 0.05.

Out of the 418 prison inmates who took part in the study, 223 (53.3%) were found to have skin disorders. The vast majority of the participants, specifically 381 (91.1%), were male. The age range of the participants varied from 17 to 60 years old, with an average age of 29.29 years ± 9.08 years. Skin infections were identified as the most prevalent type of skin disease, with 113 patients (50.67%) affected. Among the skin infections, fungal infections and scabies infestations were the most common, accounting for 41 cases (18.4%) and 37 cases (8.85%) respectively. In terms of inflammatory skin problems, 50 cases (11.9%) of Eczematous skin diseases were diagnosed. Within this category, Atopic Eczema and Nummular eczema accounted for 19 (4.5%) and 8 (1.9%) cases, respectively. Notably, a case of Leprosy was also diagnosed and linked to treatment within this prison.

In this study, infectious skin diseases and manageable inflammatory skin diseases are commonly diagnosed as dermatoses among prison inmates at Wolaita zone Prison. The inmates have the right to the best of health, including skin health, so health professionals posted to prison services must be trained to diagnose and manage skin disorders in prisons.