Prevalence of skin disease in Nineveh city, an Iterventional study

In Iraq the available measures of disease frequency related to skin disorders are from hospital-based clinic studies. It reflects the patterns of clinic attendance, and the actual prevalence of skin diseases in the community is unknown. The main objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of skin diseases in selected areas of Ninevah governorate. A household survey based on health interviews and clinical examination was conducted over a period of seven months. Family members of 1201 households were involved in the study through multi-stage cluster sampling of predetermined areas from the catchment areas of six primary health care centers in and around Mosul city. There were 9453 person residing in the 1201 households surveyed. The demographic characteristics of the studied sample were compatible to Iraqi population. 2779 cases were identified, of which 2% people could not be traced for clinical examination. 33% households did not have anyone with a skin lesion. The prevalence of skin diseases was (293.9‰). The commonest skin diseases were acne vulgaris (53.8‰), contact dermatitis (14.9‰), fissuring of sole (14.5‰), urticaria (12.5‰), pityriasis alba (12.3‰), seborrhoeic dermatitis (10.8‰), neavus (9.3‰), impetigo (8.0‰), tinea pedis (7.3‰), psoriasis (6.8‰). The overall prevalence rates of diseases in females (324.1‰) were higher than for males (265.1‰). Acne vulgaris and fissuring of sole have got higher rates in females than males. Pityriasis alba was higher among males. There was variation in the prevalence of many of skin diseases with age, the highest prevalence rates was among the 15-44 years age group (355.7‰). Napkin rash and seborrhoeic dermatitis have higher rate 28.5‰ in infants and in the 1-4 years age group. The prevalence rate of infectious dermatoses was higher in rural (114.4‰) than urban (64.0‰), for the educational level, graduates has the lowest prevalence rate of skin disease (127.3‰). Housewives and manual workers have high prevalence rate of eczema (4.7%, 5.9%) respectively. Animal contact and bad house hygienic condition decrease the chance of controlling infectious dermatoses group of skin diseases. Smoking and stress increase the prevalence rate of urticaria. Similar pattern of common dermatoses to this study was found in other developing countries. Aged people prefer self-remedy and traditional medicine (4.2%, 9.6%) respectively. High educational levels prefer the choice of dermatologist (65.3‰). This is the first community based survey of skin diseases in Ninevah, its results could be used as bases to plan interventions at community level. The overall prevalence of skin disease was high in the surveyed community. There were clear differences between community prevalence and hospital dermatology-clinic attendance data for a number of skin diseases.