Psychological Stress in Parents of Children with Atopic Dermatitis: A Cross-sectional Study from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Clinical Summary
View sourceWhat was studied
Cross-sectional analysis of 2009–2012 KNHANES data comparing psychological stress in parents of children under 19 years with versus without atopic dermatitis, using four yes/no items and multivariable logistic regression adjusted for age, gender, education, occupation, and marital status.
Key findings
Mothers of children with atopic dermatitis reported more stress perception (aOR 1.46, 95% CI 1.22–1.74; p<0.01) and suicidal ideation (aOR 1.40, 95% CI 1.10–1.79; p<0.01) than mothers of children without atopic dermatitis, while fathers showed no significant differences; mothers’ quality of life was lower (EQ-5D adjusted mean 0.96 vs 0.97, p<0.01; EQ-VAS 74.54 vs 76.35, p=0.013).
Study limitations
Cross-sectional design precludes causal inference; psychological stress and atopic dermatitis status were based on brief self-report items (single physician-diagnosis question for atopic dermatitis) with limited time windows; important psychosocial confounders (e.g., personality, family psychiatric history) were unavailable.
Clinical implications
For caregivers of children with atopic dermatitis—especially mothers—screen for stress and suicidal ideation and address quality-of-life concerns, as they show higher psychological burden compared with controls in this national dataset.
Related Questions
Explore related topics and deepen your understanding