Hispanic and black children are more likely to miss school than white children due to the chronic skin condition eczema, a new study finds.
Researchers analyzed more than a decade of data on more than 8,000 2- to 17-year-olds enrolled in a national eczema registry. Overall, 3.3% missed six or more days of school over a six-month period.
That meets the U.S. Department of Education's definition of chronic school absenteeism.
Compared to white children, Hispanic children were 3.4 times more likely to be chronically absent due to eczema, and black children 1.5 times more likely, according to the study
ed online May 22 in the journal JAMA Dermatology.
"The effects of eczema are more than skin-deep, and studies have shown that the mental health and social impact of this condition can be significant -- sometimes just as much or more than the physical," said lead author Dr. Joy Wan. She's a postdoctoral fellow and instructor in dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
Eczema, also called atopic dermatitis, is a common inflammatory disease that causes red and itchy skin. It affects about 30 million Americans, including up to 20% of children, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The condition is more common among black and Hispanic children than among white children.
Along with the physical symptoms, eczema can have mental health impacts as well, including increased risk of anxiety and depression.
"Most people don't realize the serious impact eczema can have on a person's life, and our research shows minorities may be disproportionately affected," study senior author Dr. Junko Takeshita said in a university news release. She is an assistant professor of dermatology and epidemiology.
"We still have a lot to learn about eczema-related disparities but it's becoming increasingly clear that these disparities need to be addressed," Takeshita said.
Researchers analyzed more than a decade of data on more than 8,000 2- to 17-year-olds enrolled in a national eczema registry. Overall, 3.3% missed six or more days of school over a six-month period.
That meets the U.S. Department of Education's definition of chronic school absenteeism.
Compared to white children, Hispanic children were 3.4 times more likely to be chronically absent due to eczema, and black children 1.5 times more likely, according to the study
ed online May 22 in the journal JAMA Dermatology.
"The effects of eczema are more than skin-deep, and studies have shown that the mental health and social impact of this condition can be significant -- sometimes just as much or more than the physical," said lead author Dr. Joy Wan. She's a postdoctoral fellow and instructor in dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
Eczema, also called atopic dermatitis, is a common inflammatory disease that causes red and itchy skin. It affects about 30 million Americans, including up to 20% of children, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The condition is more common among black and Hispanic children than among white children.
Along with the physical symptoms, eczema can have mental health impacts as well, including increased risk of anxiety and depression.
"Most people don't realize the serious impact eczema can have on a person's life, and our research shows minorities may be disproportionately affected," study senior author Dr. Junko Takeshita said in a university news release. She is an assistant professor of dermatology and epidemiology.
"We still have a lot to learn about eczema-related disparities but it's becoming increasingly clear that these disparities need to be addressed," Takeshita said.
A combination of depression and genetic risk may fuel an addiction to indoor tanning.
ReplyDeleteThat's the conclusion of a new study out of Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, D.C.
For the study, researchers surveyed nearly 300 women who used indoor tanning beds, sunlamps or sun booths, and analyzed DNA samples. The women were white and between 18 and 30 years of age.
The risk of tanning addiction doubled in those who had mutations in genes related to dopamine activity; dopamine is key to the brain's pleasure and reward system. Those mutations, coupled with others linked to depression, increased the risk of tanning addiction by up to 13 times.
"By demonstrating that genes in behavioral reward pathways are associated with tanning addiction, we are providing stronger evidence that tanning addiction is a cancer risk behavior in need of intervention," lead author Darren Mays said in a Georgetown news release. "This finding adds to a growing body of evidence from animal studies and neuroimaging studies that have been done in humans."
Mays is an associate professor of oncology. He's now beginning a study into the use of text messages as a way to help young women quit if they are addicted to tanning.
Exposure to ultraviolet light can cause skin cancers, including deadly melanoma. Indoor tanning accounts for 10% of skin cancers, and this year nearly 100,000 Americans will be diagnosed with melanoma.
The report was published online June 11 in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine.
More information
To learn more about the dangers of indoor tanning, visit the American Academy of Dermatology.