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Melanocytic nevi in children. I. Anatomic sites and demographic and host factors
1Department of Public Health, University of Western Australia, Perth.
Insights
This study surveyed benign melanocytic nevi in Australian schoolchildren, finding prevalence varied by ethnicity, age, sex, and sun sensitivity. White children had more nevi, which increased with age but plateaued around nine years old.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Epidemiology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Benign melanocytic nevi (moles) are common skin growths.
- Understanding nevus prevalence and associated factors is important for dermatological health.
- Previous studies on nevus distribution and determinants in children are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the prevalence and causes of benign melanocytic nevi in schoolchildren.
- To investigate factors influencing nevus count and distribution.
- To establish baseline data for future dermatological research.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey of 2,552 schoolchildren aged 5-14 years in Perth, Western Australia.
- Systematic counting of all nevi by trained nurses.
- Data collected on ethnicity, age, sex, parental birthplace, hair and skin color, tanning/burning habits, and freckling.
Main Results:
- Children of European origin had significantly more nevi than other ethnic groups.
- Nevus prevalence increased with age in white children, plateauing around age 9.
- Boys had more nevi than girls; distribution varied by body site.
- Sun sensitivity (tanning, burning, freckling) and parental origin influenced nevus counts.
Conclusions:
- Nevus prevalence in children is influenced by a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors.
- Skin type and sun exposure patterns are key determinants of nevus development.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the precise mechanisms underlying nevus formation.
Abstract:
A survey of benign melanocytic nevi was conducted among schoolchildren in Perth, Western Australia, in 1985, with the aim of describing the prevalence and causes of nevi. Children were recruited from Perth public schools that were chosen to be representative of the socioeconomic and geographic distribution of the population. Of 4,898 eligible children, 2,595 (53%) had all of their nevi counted by one member of a team of five nurses. Analysis was restricted to 2,552 children aged 5-14 years. Children of European origin (i.e., white children), who comprised the majority of the sample (2,376 children), had many more nevi than did children of other ethnic origins. Among white children, the prevalence of nevi increased progressively with age, although the number of nevi per unit of skin area reached a plateau at about 9 years of age. Boys had more nevi at all ages than did girls. The number of nevi per unit of area was highest on the lateral surfaces of the upper limbs and the face and neck, and was lowest on the lower limbs. Children whose parents had been born in Southern Europe were likely to have few nevi. Children with red hair had relatively few nevi, but children with light skin generally had more nevi than children with darker skin. Ability to tan and propensity to burn were also associated with number of nevi, although not in a simple fashion; numbers of nevi were highest in intermediate categories of these two variables. The relation with freckling was also complex; the mean number of nevi increased with increasing freckling until the freckling became moderate to heavy, after which it fell.