Epidemiology of Vitiligo - A Dual Population-Based Approach

TY - JOUR

T1 - Epidemiology of Vitiligo - A Dual Population-Based Approach

AU - Mohr, Nicole

AU - Petersen, Jana

AU - Kirsten, Natalia

AU - Augustin, Matthias

N1 - © 2021 Mohr et al.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Background: Most epidemiological data on vitiligo refer to selected environments or focus on the prevalence of comorbidity unrelated to the population.Objective: Aim of the study was to gain robust representative prevalence data on vitiligo and on associated dermatologic comorbidity in the German adult population.Methods: A dual population-based approach was applied with 1) primary data obtained between 2004 and 2014 from dermatological exams in the general working population; 2) claims data from a large German statutory health insurance, reference year 2010.Results: In the working cohort (N = 121,783; 57% male; mean age 43 years), the prevalence of vitiligo was 0.77% (0.84% in men; 0.67% in women). In the claims data (N = 1,619,678; 38% male; mean age 46 years), prevalence was 0.17% (0.14% in men; 0.18% in women). In the working cohort, vitiligo was significantly more common in people with fair skin type, ephelides and port-wine stains and less common in people with acne and solar lentigines. In the claims data, vitiligo was associated with a variety of skin conditions, eg, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and alopecia areata.Conclusion: The resulting discrepancy of claims vs primary data between 0.17% and 0.77% indicates the most probable spectrum of vitiligo prevalence in Germany. It is more frequently observed in clinical exams than recorded in claims data, indicating a marked proportion of people seeking no medical help. Such nonattendance may result from the fact that many treatment options do not provide satisfying benefits to the patients.

AB - Background: Most epidemiological data on vitiligo refer to selected environments or focus on the prevalence of comorbidity unrelated to the population.Objective: Aim of the study was to gain robust representative prevalence data on vitiligo and on associated dermatologic comorbidity in the German adult population.Methods: A dual population-based approach was applied with 1) primary data obtained between 2004 and 2014 from dermatological exams in the general working population; 2) claims data from a large German statutory health insurance, reference year 2010.Results: In the working cohort (N = 121,783; 57% male; mean age 43 years), the prevalence of vitiligo was 0.77% (0.84% in men; 0.67% in women). In the claims data (N = 1,619,678; 38% male; mean age 46 years), prevalence was 0.17% (0.14% in men; 0.18% in women). In the working cohort, vitiligo was significantly more common in people with fair skin type, ephelides and port-wine stains and less common in people with acne and solar lentigines. In the claims data, vitiligo was associated with a variety of skin conditions, eg, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and alopecia areata.Conclusion: The resulting discrepancy of claims vs primary data between 0.17% and 0.77% indicates the most probable spectrum of vitiligo prevalence in Germany. It is more frequently observed in clinical exams than recorded in claims data, indicating a marked proportion of people seeking no medical help. Such nonattendance may result from the fact that many treatment options do not provide satisfying benefits to the patients.

U2 - 10.2147/CLEP.S304155

DO - 10.2147/CLEP.S304155

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 34079380

VL - 13

SP - 373

EP - 382

JO - CLIN EPIDEMIOL

JF - CLIN EPIDEMIOL

SN - 1179-1349

ER -