Lee Ji Hyun, Na Chan Ho, Ryoo Ji Hoon, Chae Soo Yuhl, Kim Jin Ho, Park Do Young, Bang Jin Seon, Kim Esther, Kwak Jun Ho, Kang Da Hyun, Lew Bark-Lynn, Jang Yong Hyun
Department of Dermatology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Korea.
Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2025 May;17(3):371-383. doi: 10.4168/aair.2025.17.3.371.
In the 'Itch-Scratch cycle', scratching manifests in various ways and further provokes skin inflammation and alteration of the skin microbiota. However, there is an unmet demand for classifying and interpreting scratching behavior. We analyze patterns of scratching behavior expressed by patients with chronic pruritus.
A survey was conducted on 206 adult patients with chronic pruritus for more than six weeks. Participants responded to a questionnaire about pruritus, including standard unidimensional-scale questions, as well as individualistic questions about sensory expression and quality of life. For scratching behavior, all patients answered questions about patterns, tools, situations, time spent, and scratched areas. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to classify scratching behavior. Descriptive and exploratory factor analyses were used to identify the structure of the underlying factors measured by the questionnaire items.
Among pruritic descriptors, 'unbearable' was the most common (84.5%). Of 206 participants, 190 (92.2%) responded that they scratched. The most common itch resolution methods were 'applying moisturizer', 'rubbing', and 'applying ointment'. The fingernails (89.3%) were the most frequently reported tool used for scratching. Participants reported most frequent scratching during sleep or rest. Among the pruritus-specific quality-of-life indicators, 'Lifelong' was the most stressful item related to all scratching behaviors. Regarding scratching differences by disease, patients with prurigo showed shorter scratching time with abnormal and aggressive behavior.
We analyzed scratching behavior patterns in patients with chronic pruritus. Our findings support the need for education on the importance of applying moisturizer before sleep. The results are also important for helping patients with prurigo correct their abnormal and aggressive scratching behavior patterns, which can reduce quality of life and worsen symptoms.
在“瘙痒 - 搔抓循环”中，搔抓表现为多种形式，并进一步引发皮肤炎症和皮肤微生物群的改变。然而，对搔抓行为进行分类和解释仍存在未满足的需求。我们分析了慢性瘙痒患者表现出的搔抓行为模式。
对206名患有慢性瘙痒超过六周的成年患者进行了一项调查。参与者回答了关于瘙痒的问卷，包括标准的单维度量表问题，以及关于感觉表达和生活质量的个性化问题。对于搔抓行为，所有患者回答了关于模式、工具、情境、花费时间和搔抓部位的问题。进行探索性因素分析以对搔抓行为进行分类。描述性和探索性因素分析用于识别问卷项目所测量的潜在因素的结构。
在瘙痒描述词中，“难以忍受”最为常见（84.5%）。在206名参与者中，190名（92.2%）回答他们会搔抓。最常见的止痒方法是“涂抹保湿霜”“摩擦”和“涂抹药膏”。指甲（89.3%）是最常被报告用于搔抓的工具。参与者报告在睡眠或休息时搔抓最为频繁。在瘙痒特异性生活质量指标中，“终身”是与所有搔抓行为相关的最具压力的项目。关于不同疾病的搔抓差异，痒疹患者的搔抓时间较短，行为异常且具有攻击性。
我们分析了慢性瘙痒患者的搔抓行为模式。我们的研究结果支持了在睡前涂抹保湿霜重要性方面进行教育的必要性。这些结果对于帮助痒疹患者纠正其异常且具有攻击性的搔抓行为模式也很重要，这种行为模式会降低生活质量并使症状恶化。
