Burden of illness in adults with atopic dermatitis: Analysis of National Health and Wellness Survey data from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom

Abstract

Background: The disease burden of atopic dermatitis (AD) in European populations is not well known.

Objective: To establish the disease burden in European adult patients with AD.

Methods: Data were from the 2016 National Health and Wellness Survey conducted in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Bivariate analyses were conducted on outcomes between controls without AD matched to patients with self-reported AD (both n = 1860).

Results: Patients with AD and a subset of patients with inadequately controlled AD (IC-AD) versus controls without AD, respectively, reported significantly higher (P < .001) 36-Item Short Form Health Survey Physical and Mental Component Summaries (PCS, MCS), and anxiety (31.9% and 51.7% vs 14.4%), depression (25.8% and 36.2% vs 12.9%), and sleep disorder (22.7% and 39.7% vs 12.6%) prevalences. Patients with IC-AD versus controls without AD reported significantly greater (P < .001) overall work (57.1% vs 23.7%) and activity impairment (51.7% vs 26.5%). In addition, 21.6% of patients with AD and 37.9% of patients with IC-AD reported ≥1 emergency department visit in the previous 6 months versus 16.5% of controls without AD, and 93.1% of patients with AD versus 84.2% of those without AD had ≥1 clinician visit (both P < .001). Of these, patients with IC-AD showed greater burden on most outcomes than patients with controlled AD.

Limitations: Low response rate, possible selection bias due to survey technology availability, and patient-reported data susceptible to recall bias.

Conclusion: Patients with AD reported significant burden on health, health-related quality of life, productivity, activities, and health care.

Keywords: Europe; atopic dermatitis; disease burden.