Epidemiology of Skin Diseases among Displaced People in Diyala Province

Abstract

Background: Diyala have many internally displaced persons as a consequence of the armed conflict. Those peoples experience serious health problems related to their displacement, including skin disorders. Objective: To determine the prevalence of skin diseases and the use of health care among displaced patients in Diyala. Methods: A case-series study conducted on 246 displaced patients from May to November 2017, who attended Baqubah teaching hospital in Diyala. All patients were diagnosed by dermatologists depending on clinical findings. Results: A total of 246 displaced patient from all age groups mean±SD (21.9±18.59) years, range 1-64) consulate the clinic, of them (29.3%) male and (70.7%) female with male to female ratio (1:2.4). Infectious skin diseases have the highest rate (65.9%), followed by dermatitis (18.4%), acne (5.7%), alopecia (5.3%), and Papulosquamous diseases (4.8%). Parasitic skin infestations (31.7%) and viral infection (24.4%) were the commonest noted infections. Significant associations present between previous consultation and economic status, and between prevalence of skin infections and low economic status. Significant associations between skin diseases and rising crowding index. Conclusion: Infectious skin diseases are common among displaced patients, significantly higher among low economic status. Skin diseases significantly associated with rising crowding index.

Keywords

• Skin diseases, internally displaced persons, crowding index.