Impact of atopic dermatitis on the quality of life of children and their families

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common chronic inflammatory skin disease, with a significant effect on the quality of life (QoL). This study aims to evaluate the impact of AD on the QoL of children and their parents and to identify predictors affecting their QoL. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted in Montenegro. It included 200 children with AD aged 5-16 years and their parents. The severity of disease was measured by the Three Item Severity (TIS) score, while QoL was assessed with the Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) and the Dermatitis Family Impact (DFI) questionnaire. RESULTS: The mean CDLQI score of the children affected by AD was 17.11 and the mean DFI score of their parents 19.86. There was a significant correlation between AD severity score assessed by a doctor (TIS) and both CDLQI and DFI scores (r=0.53 and r=0.27, respectively). A moderate positive correlation was observed between the QoL of children with AD and QoL of their parents (r=0.53). According to multiple linear regression, more impaired QoL of affected children was associated with more severe AD, younger parent's age and their lower educational level. Poorer QoL of parents was associated with female sex, younger age of children, more severe AD, lower educational level of parents and absence of a family history of atopic disease. CONCLUSIONS: The present study confirmed that AD has a large negative impact on QoL of both patients with AD and their families. More impaired QoL was associated with more severe AD.