Early Childhood Stress and the Risk of Developing Psoriasis: A Cohort Study

Environmental factors play a role in onset of psoriasis. We investigated whether early childhood stress contributes to the development of psoriasis later in life. Questionnaires, answered by parents of children in the All Babies in Southeast Sweden prospective birth cohort (n = 16,145) follow-up at 1, 3, 5, and 8 years of the child, were used. Psoriasis cases were identified using the Swedish National Patient Register. Statistical analyses were conducted using the R programming language. The stress life factor "new family structure" (divorce/separation and/or new adult or new/step siblings) before the age of 1 year increased the risk of developing psoriasis (OR = 4.19, 95% confidence interval = 1.01-11.48, P = .048) in the univariate regression model and was also significant when adjusted for confounders. Integrating data from follow-up years 1, 3, 5, and 8, "new family structure" increased the risk of psoriasis-univariate (OR = 3.40, 95% confidence interval = 1.06-9.42, P = .04) but was not significant in the adjusted multivariable model, although the effect size was high (OR = 2.91, 95% confidence interval = 0.88-8.41). Children experiencing the psychological stress of a "new family structure" during the first 8 years of life have an increased risk of developing psoriasis later.