Understanding dermatological health challenges in rural communities - An epidemiological study

Skin diseases contribute to significant morbidity to the patients which have geographical variation. There are many hospital-based studies describing the distribution of dermatoses but social and preventive health camps conducted in rural areas often give the real portrait of the dermatological burden in entire population. To provide a detailed overview of the prevalence of skin diseases in a rural area. This is cross sectional study conducted in people attending preventive health camps in Pudukottai district over a period of 3months. Patients with various dermatological complaints are diagnosed clinically and details recorded using a proforma tailored for recording dermatology conditions. Statistical analysis was made according to patient profile, final diagnosis and appropriate treatment suggested. Awareness about the preventive measures were educated. In our study, among the 5870 patients attending the dermatology campy, 1468 had dermatological complaints. Males outnumbered females and the most common age group is 40-60years. Non-infectious dermatoses were predominant, some of them include eczema, appendageal and pigmentary disorders. Infectious dermatoses are the second common, among them the fungal infections top the list followed by bacterial and arthropod infections. Planning of the health programmes should be tailored to the individual needs of a community. This study provides valuable insights into the epidemiology of dermatological conditions in the studied rural population. Further researches are warranted to enhance diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive strategies for these conditions.