Publication:

Study of common dermatoses in school children of rural area of Dakshina Kannada district, India: a cross-sectional study

Background Prevalence of skin diseases amongst children of a community is an indicator   of health and personal hygiene of a society. School children are more prone for skin infections and majority of them are preventable. Present study aimed to find the common dermatoses in school children of rural area.

Methods This was a cross sectional study conducted among 400 children from three randomly selected schools. Socio-demographic data was collected using a pretested semi structured questionnaire and skin conditions were identified by examination.

Results Out of the total 400 children, 224 (56%) were boys and 176 (44%) were girls. The overall prevalence of skin conditions was 222 (55.5%). Majority (27.5%) had fungal infection, 15% had bacterial infection, 10% had parasitic infection and 3 % had viral infection.

Conclusions Prevalence of skin infections is high in present study, hence creating awareness about personal hygiene among parents, children and teachers is the need of the hour.