Data resources for epidemiology of skin diseases

Among existing data sets the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES-I) stands out for its large sample size and detailed examination of the skin. However, because NHANES-I employed many different examiners and no uniform diagnostic criteria, the quality of the data is variable. Furthermore, the survey was conducted in the 1970s and does not contain information necessary to answer some currently relevant epidemiologic questions. Future data collection efforts will have to be planned to address specific hypotheses. In addition, future dermato-epidemiologic studies will have to pay careful attention to diagnostic accuracy.