Exploring the burden of xerosis cutis and the impact of dermatological skin care from patient's perspective

Background Xerosis cutis is recognized as a burdensome and stressful condition of the skin, resulting in impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Therefore, it should be treated as a relevant skin disease with detailed care and treatment recommendations. Methods This cross-sectional, explora...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Catharina C. von Stülpnagel, Matthias Augustin, Neuza da Silva, Laura Schmidt, Gesa Nippel, Rachel Sommer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2022-07-01
Series:Journal of Dermatological Treatment
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Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09546634.2021.1970704
Description
Summary:Background Xerosis cutis is recognized as a burdensome and stressful condition of the skin, resulting in impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Therefore, it should be treated as a relevant skin disease with detailed care and treatment recommendations. Methods This cross-sectional, exploratory study aimed to examine xerosis cutis-related burden from patient’s perspective and compare it with individuals without xerosis cutis. Within-group comparisons were also performed among patients with xerosis cutis associated with atopic dermatitis (AD) or not. The second aim was to assess the effect of a routinely applied basic skin care therapy in terms of burden release. Results Overall, 127 participants were included in the study. Patients with xerosis cutis reported a lower quality of life (p = .041), more dysmorphic concerns (p < .001), and higher general anxiety (p = .029) than individuals without xerosis cutis. The presence of AD was associated with lower HRQoL (p = .023), more depression (p = .008) and anxiety symptoms (p = .003), and more stigmatization experiences at baseline (p < .001). Conclusion Patients with xerosis cutis showed higher psychosocial burden than participants without xerosis cutis. Additionally, patients with xerosis and AD had more psychosocial impairments than patients with xerosis without AD.
ISSN:0954-6634
1471-1753