Psoriasis Affects Health-Related Quality of Life in Pediatric Patients

In pediatric patients with psoriasis, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is strongly correlated with the clinical severity of disease, according to studyfindings published in Pediatric Dermatology.

Researchers evaluated HRQoL with use of a validated Persian version of the Children Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) questionnaire. The cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2017 to April 2018 at a hospital in Iran and included 40 patients with psoriasis, aged 4 to 16 years. The questionnaire was completed by each patient or his or her parents.

The participants had a mean age of 12.42 ± 7.1 years, and 52.5% were male. Their disease duration ranged from 10 months to 10 years (mean age, 4.53 ± 5.36 years), and their mean Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) score was 8.03 ± 9.31 (range, 0.4-25).

The patients had a mean CDLQI score of 18.87 ± 8.15, which suggests considerable burden on HRQoL, it was noted. Multiple linear regression was used to assess the effect of patient characteristics and clinical features on QoL and showed a strong positive correlation between CDLQI and PASI scores (P < .001; r = .653).

No association was observed between QoL and age, sex, disease duration, number of relapses, lesion visibility, and type of treatment (P value: .854, .607, .680, .901,  .242, and .240, respectively).

Study limitations include the cross-sectional design, in which patients were observed at a single time point during their treatment, and it was not possible to establish a clear cause-effect relationship among the variables. Also, the patient population may be different from patients in other settings.

“Investigating the impact of disease on QOL in different cultures is critical as one’s perception of QoL depends not only on age and gender, but also on social class, anxiety level, and ethnicity,” stated the study authors. “As the correlation between disease severity scores and HRQoL in children seems to be stronger than adults, using measures of QoL such as CDLQI should be included in patient-oriented clinical decision-making, especially in juvenile psoriasis.” They believe that “improving caregivers’ insight into their patients’ experience can provide better patient adherence to treatment with a better chance for optimal control of chronic disorders.

Reference

Nourmohammadpour P, Ehsani AH, Hatami P, et al. Do clinical severity scores correlate with the quality of life in children with psoriasis? A cross-sectional study of Iranian pediatric patients. Pediatr Dermatol. 2022;39(2):211-214. doi:10.1111/pde.14891