The prevalence of atopic dermatitis in aboriginal elementary schoolchildren in Kaohsiung and Pintung County -in comparison with that in nonaboriginal schoolchildren in Kaohsiung and Penghu County

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is famed for its recurrent and chronic course following patients from early childhood into puberty. It is frequently associated with elevated IgE levels and a personal or family history of AD, allergic rhinitis and asthma. Complex interactions among genetic, environmental, pharmacological and immunological factors contribute to AD. Studies on the prevalence of AD have been done mostly in western countries, however, few related information in Taiwan has been acquired. Controversies in terms of the association between AD prevalence and the modernization or industrialization of the area or the country have been repeatedly debated in the literature. We conduct a survey of the AD prevalence in aboriginal schoolchildren in mountainous areas in Kaohsiung and Pingtung County. Sixteen elementary schools mainly composed of aboriginals were recruited. One thousand two hundred and forty one schoolchildren were all examined by dermatologists in March, April, September, and October, 2006. Twenty-five were diagnosed as having AD. The point-prevalence was 2.01%. We compared the result with that of previous study aiming at schoolchildren in major towns in Kaohsiung and Penghu County in 2004 and 2005. The prevalence of AD in aboriginal schoolchildren was significantly lower than that of schoolchildren in Penhu county (2.01% vs. 4.32%, p<0.01). However, no difference in prevalence was found between aboriginal schoolchildren and those in the major towns in Kaohsiung county (2.01% vs. 1.62%, p=0.341). Further studies are required to elucidate the association of AD prevalence among different areas and ethnic groups.