Alopecia Areata Prevalence in Australia: Insights From a Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Survey Study

To estimate the lifetime and point prevalence of alopecia areata (AA) among Australians aged ≥ 15 years.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted from August to September 2024 in a quota-balanced sample of the Australian population, aged ≥ 12 years (exploratory objective included participants aged 12-14 years). Participants completed the Alopecia Assessment Tool (ALTO) to identify AA. Participants with AA completed the Scalp Hair Assessment Patient-Reported Outcome to assess hair loss and a questionnaire on hair loss experience. Lifetime prevalence was calculated as the proportion of participants with AA per the ALTO, and point prevalence was calculated as the proportion of participants with AA per the ALTO and current scalp hair loss.

Of 8,256 participants, 194 had potential AA, and of those, 188 were aged ≥ 15 years. The lifetime prevalence (95% CI) of AA among those aged ≥ 15 years ranged from 1.2% (1.08-1.32) to 2.3% (2.13-2.47), with a point prevalence (95% CI) of 0.9% (0.79-1.01) to 1.4% (1.27-1.53). Of 194 participants with potential AA, 125 had healthcare provider (HCP)-diagnosed AA and 69 had self-diagnosed AA. More self-diagnosed participants had active hair loss than HCP-diagnosed participants. Thirty-nine HCP-diagnosed participants (31.2%) were not using any treatment/management approach, and of those, 23.1% were unaware of treatment/management options. Most self-diagnosed participants were using shampoos/conditioners recommended for hair loss (62.3%).

There is a need for improved AA education in Australia to increase awareness, given that approximately 36% of participants were self-diagnosed and 31% of HCP-diagnosed participants were not using treatment or a management approach.