We investigated factors associated with quality of life (QOL) in children with eczema. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of survey data from 224 parents of children with eczema attending a large, hospital-based pediatric clinic. Parents completed a validated eczema severity scale (Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure), a QOL scale (Infants' Dermatitis QOL Index or Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index), and a knowledge and understanding questionnaire. In adjusted multivariate analyses, worse eczema severity was associated with worse overall QOL (β = 0.5; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.5, 0.6]), while a higher knowledge score was associated with better QOL (β = -3.4; 95% CI = [-6.6, -0.2]). Similarly, even after adjustment for eczema severity, greater understanding of a child's individual treatment plan was associated with better QOL (β = -0.7; 95% CI = [-1.4, -0.08]), while increased frequency of worrying about a child's eczema was associated with worse QOL (β = 0.7; 95% CI = [0.03, 1.1]). These results suggest primary care providers may be able to influence QOL through optimal eczema management and family education.
Keywords: atopic dermatitis; dermatology; eczema; primary care; quality of life.