The Prevalence of Atopic Dermatitis in Adults and its Association with Respiratory Allergic Disorders in Bushehr City, Iran

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin and its prevalence is continuously on the rise. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of AD in adults living in Southwestern part of Iran and its association with respiratory allergic disorders. Methods: In this population-based cross-sectional stratified, using multistage cluster random sampling method, a total of 5420 individuals aged 15-65 years were selected from Bushehr City, Iran, from which, 5201 completed the Global Allergy and Asthma Network of Excellence (GA2LEN) questionnaire (Response rate = 96.1%). The total prevalence of AD and its prevalence in allergic diseases was calculated, and the association of AD and these diseases was evaluated using multiple logistic regression model. Findings: The overall prevalence of AD was 29% (32% women vs 25.9% men; P < 0.001). The highest prevalence was seen among participants in the age group of 25-34 and 35-44 years (P < 0.001). The prevalence of AD among the patients with asthma, chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), and allergic rhinitis (AR) was 50.5%, 48.4%, and 47.1%, respectively, that it was significantly related only with AR (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The prevalence of allergic diseases in Bushehr City was high. The comorbidities of the other allergic diseases such as asthma, chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), and allergic rhinitis (AR) leads to a higher prevalence of AD.