The largest survey of its kind indicates that 47.9% of the population of Europe over the age of 18 has reported at least one dermatologic condition during the past year.
Developed by the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, the survey called the Burden of Skin Disease in Europe included 44,689 adults from 27 European countries, including all European Union members as well as the UK, Norway and Switzerland. These findings announced during the sessions of the EADV 30th Annual Congress and released on Oct. 1, were based on the 21,401 responses analyzed to date. The EADV noted that, on average, a majority affected declared a median of two skin conditions.
The most common skin conditions reported during the first analysis of the initial responses were fungal skin infections (9.07% of respondents); atopic dermatitis (5.34%), alopecia (5.22%), and acne (5.49%). Skin symptoms such as tightness and itch were also noted.
“As the leading European organization in dermato-venereology, the EADV is taking on an important role in determining the prevalence and impact of skin disease across Europe. The fact that one in two people across Europe lives with skin disease on a daily basis makes the skin the most affected organ in the body and as an organization, we are therefore committed to making skin disease a public health priority,” said Marie-Aleth Richard, Professor, University Hospital of La Timone, Marseille and an EADV board member, in a press release.
She said that, prior to this survey, there was little information regarding the prevalence of skin diseases in the general population across Europe. The EADV commissioned the survey to try to understand the quality of life impact of skin disease on Europeans, as well as the potential perception of dermatologists and access to their care.