Evaluation of the parental perspective with regards to dermatology and pediatric skin disease in Aydın

Purpose: This study aims primarily to evaluate parents of children ages 0-17 years in Aydın for their knowledge, beliefs and behaviour regarding paediatric skin disease, their attitudes about seeking treatment and their therapy preferences.Methods: Study population consisted of 5725 children whose ages ranged between 0 to 17 living in Aydın city center and who were registered at the 2nd Health Office of the municipality of Aydın. The questionnaire used in this study consisted of a total of 33 questions with 12 questions regarding demographic information, 8 questions regarding opinions of parents about dermatology and dermatological diseases, 1 question regarding dermatological diseases of children and their treatment, 9 questions with pictures depicting most common diseases seen in Adnan Menderes University Dermatology Department and 3 questions regarding thoughts about this questionnaire.Findings: The questionnaires were answered by 312 parents and this represents 86% of the targeted population. The questionnaires were answered 92,9% by mothers and 1,0% by fathers. The most common answers to the question ?Can you name three skin diseases?? were fungal disease, eczema and psoriasis in decreasing order. The relationship between the patient?s education level and the number of known dermatological diseases was found to be statistifically significant. Attendance to a dermatology department because of skin related problems in the last 6 months was not related with the education level, however average monthly income was related significantly with this attendence. Frequency of attendance to a dermatologist increased with increase in age of children. Preference to be seen by a dermatologist increased as the level of parental education increased.Stress and psychological disorders were thought to be causes of skin diseases by 75.7% of parents and %55.8 of parents stated that low personal hygiene could yield dermatological diseases.Various self styled topical remedies were used by 43.6% of the parents for acne vulgaris, 41.8% for impetigoa and 45.7% for verruca vulgaris. Parents stated that they would take their children to a pediatrician if they were to see lesions of hemangiomas (73.1%), impetigo (45.7%) and varicella (68.8%). On the other hand 96.1% of parents stated that they would take their children to a dermatologist if they were to see psoriasis lesions.Conclusion: This study has shown that knowledge about dermatology and dermatological diseases among parents is scarce and erroneous beliefs and therapy approaches about dermatological diseases are common. Results of this study show the need of guidance of parents to dermatologists and may provide a database for the education of parents about skin diseases.Key words: Parents, pediatric dermatology