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What patients with vitiligo believe about their condition
Author(s) -
Firooz Alireza,
Bouzari Navid,
Fallah Nader,
Ghazisaidi Behnaz,
Firoozabadi Mehdi Rashighi,
Dowlati Yahya
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
international journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-4632
pISSN - 0011-9059
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-4632.2004.02059.x
Subject(s) - vitiligo , medicine , disease , disfigurement , etiology , family history , quality of life (healthcare) , affect (linguistics) , pediatrics , dermatology , surgery , nursing , linguistics , philosophy
Background Vitiligo is a common disease with an unknown etiology. It is a chronic disease which causes severe disfigurement, and so may significantly affect a patient's quality of life. This study was designed to evaluate the illness perception and quality of life in patients with vitiligo. Patients and methods A questionnaire consisting of 25 questions on the causes, timeline, consequences, and control of disease was given to 80 patients with vitiligo attending a private skin clinic in Tehran, Iran, in 1999. The roles of age, sex, duration of disease, education, extent of disease, and family history of vitiligo were assessed. Results Eighty patients (22 males and 57 females, one not mentioned), with a mean age of 30 years (SD = 11 years) and a disease duration of 7.1 years (SD = 7.8 years), completed the questionnaire; 62.5% of the patients believed that stress played a role in their disease; 31.3% believed that their genetic background played a role in their disease, more so in patients with a positive family history of vitiligo. Almost one‐half of patients believed that their illness had major consequences on their lives. One‐half of patients believed that their illness was likely to be permanent rather than temporary, more so in patients with a longer duration of disease and a higher level of education. Only 60% of patients considered that their treatments were effective. Conclusion Vitiligo may considerably affect various aspects of patients’ lives. The knowledge of patients about the causes and course of their disease is limited.