Muki Uwesu, Shayo Grace, Minja Eliaichi, Bakari Muhammad, Kazema Ashura, Lidenge Salum J
Department of Internal Medicine, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Box 65001, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Muhimbili National Hospital, P.O Box 65000, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 18;15(1):26019. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-06166-8.
The global population of people aged 60 years or older (elderly) is increasing. Skin disorders are reported to be common in this population. In view of limited data available, this study determined the burden, pattern and impact on quality of life (QoL) of dermatological disorders among the elderly in Tanzania. This was a community-based cross-sectional study conducted from August to November 2021 in Ilala Municipality, Dar es Salaam. Participants were obtained through simple random sampling in multiple stages. Diagnoses were made through a clinical assessment initially performed by a dedicated dermato-venereology officer, and confirmed by a Dermatologist using digital photographs. Quality of Life was assessed using a validated Dermatology Quality of Life Index (DLQI) with scores ranging from 1 to 30. The wealth index was graded from class 1 (poor) to class 5 (rich). Data were analyzed through Chi-squared test, Poisson Logistic regression, and analysis of variance. A total of 694 elderlies were enrolled. The overall prevalence of dermatological disorders was 85.5% (593). The most frequent category of dermatological disorders were skin infections and infestations (36.1%); eczemas (34.7%); papulosquamous eruptions (6.5%), and keratinization disorders (2.6%). Autoimmune disorders comprised 1.4%, while vascular disorders and tumors comprised 1.2% of all cases. A small proportion (1.7%) of the elderlies had ≥ 2 skin disorders. In multivariate analysis the wealth index was found to be associated with the presence of the dermatological disorder. There was a 61% impairment in QoL due to the dermatological disorders. Dermatological disorders among the elderly were common and were associated with the wealth index. They had a significant impact on quality of life. Appropriate control measures to address dermatological disorders among the elderly are needed.
全球60岁及以上老年人口正在增加。据报道，皮肤疾病在这一人群中很常见。鉴于现有数据有限，本研究确定了坦桑尼亚老年人皮肤病的负担、模式及其对生活质量（QoL）的影响。这是一项基于社区的横断面研究，于2021年8月至11月在达累斯萨拉姆的伊拉拉市进行。参与者通过多阶段简单随机抽样获得。诊断最初由一名专门的皮肤性病科医生进行临床评估，并由一名皮肤科医生使用数码照片进行确认。使用经过验证的皮肤病生活质量指数（DLQI）评估生活质量，分数范围为1至30。财富指数从1级（贫困）到5级（富裕）进行分级。通过卡方检验、泊松逻辑回归和方差分析对数据进行分析。共纳入694名老年人。皮肤病的总体患病率为85.5%（593例）。最常见的皮肤病类型是皮肤感染和寄生虫感染（36.1%）；湿疹（34.7%）；丘疹鳞屑性皮疹（6.5%）和角化异常（2.6%）。自身免疫性疾病占所有病例的1.4%，而血管疾病和肿瘤占1.2%。一小部分（1.7%）老年人患有≥2种皮肤疾病。在多变量分析中，发现财富指数与皮肤病的存在有关。由于皮肤病，生活质量受损61%。老年人中的皮肤病很常见，且与财富指数有关。它们对生活质量有重大影响。需要采取适当的控制措施来解决老年人中的皮肤病问题。
