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- Dalgard, F, et al.
(author)
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Self-reported skin complaints: validation of a questionnaire for population surveys
- 2003
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In: British Journal of Dermatology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1365-2133 .- 0007-0963. ; 149:4, s. 794-800
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Estimation of skin diseases in the community is challenging because we do not easily have access to the nonhealthcare-seeking population. A potential tool is a questionnaire asking for self-reported skin complaints. Such an instrument has not yet been developed. Objectives To validate a simple instrument assessing skin morbidity in the general adult population, to predict clinical skin morbidity from self-reported skin complaints. Methods A questionnaire was drawn up in Norwegian and validated against clinical signs in two samples of an urban population, 100 healthcare-seeking adults in a dermatological clinic, and 100 nonhealthcare-seeking adults. A total self-reported score was calculated and validated against severity of clinical signs (no sign, trivial, moderate or severe). The inter-rater agreement was assessed in a small study including 16 patients from a dermatological clinic. Results The participation rate was 98%. The sensitivity was 61%, the specificity 69% and the positive predictive value 82% when the caseness criterion was any clinical sign of skin disease. The agreement was good between the two observers for clinical skin morbidity, with kappa = 0.67. Conclusions This questionnaire is a simple tool to evaluate skin morbidity in an adult population. The use of self-reported complaints to predict clinical morbidity may be of value in quantifying and exploring skin diseases at the population level. Further studies are needed to improve the instrument. It is our intention to demonstrate the potential usefulness of this questionnaire in a forthcoming population survey in Norway.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Dalgard, F, et al.
(author)
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Self-reported skin morbidity among adults: Associations with quality of life and general health in a Norwegian survey
- 2004
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In: Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings. - : Elsevier BV. - 1529-1774 .- 1087-0024. ; 9:2, s. 120-125
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Life-quality studies among dermatologic patients have shown that chronic skin diseases have an impact on patients' lives. The purpose of this study was to assess the burden of skin morbidity at a community level. This was presented as prevalence of self-reported skin morbidity and dermatologic life-quality items. The association of skin disease and general health measures like feeling depressed and self-reported general health were measured. The method used was a questionnaire on self-reported skin complaints, including variables such as demographic, psychosocial, general health, dermatologic life-quality items. The design of the study was cross-sectional, with answers from 18,770 adult responders. The results confirmed that skin morbidity is common; itch was the dominating symptom. Younger adults reported more social problems as a result of skin problems than older. The life-quality domain most affected by skin disease was the social one. In a regression model skin disease was as well as rheumatism more strongly associated with feeling depressed than asthma, diabetes, and angina pectoris. Skin disease was also strongly associated with reporting poor general health, although less than other nondermatologic chronic diseases. In conclusion, in this study skin morbidity was strongly associated with general health measures among adults in a population-based setting. To the best of our knowledge these associations have not been described previously at a community level.
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