Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Towards Atopic Dermatitis Among Parents of Children with Atopic Dermatitis: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease in childhood that imposes substantial physical and psychosocial burdens on children and their families. However, limited evidence is available regarding parents' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward AD management. This study aimed to investigate the KAP towards AD among parents of children with AD. Methods: A web-based, cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary children's hospital in China between 17/01/2023 and 30/08/2023. Parents of children diagnosed with AD completed a self-administered questionnaire covering demographics and KAP-related domains. Of 451 valid responses, data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling to examine KAP associations and influencing factors. Results: Among participants, 364 respondents (80.71%) were women, and 357 (79.16%) of parents had a history of allergic diseases. The mean knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 12.29±5.67 (possible range: 0-24), 30.70±3.33 (possible range: 9-45), and 57.02±8.31 (possible range: 14-70), respectively. Correlation analysis revealed positive associations between knowledge and practices (r = 0.328, P < 0.001) and between attitudes and practices (r = 0.175, P < 0.001). Structural equation modeling results indicated that higher education level, higher monthly per capita income, and longer time since the child's diagnosis were positively associated with better knowledge. The number of children in the household was negatively associated with attitudes. Better knowledge, more positive attitudes, higher income, and fewer children in the household were positively associated with more proactive practices. Conclusion: Parents demonstrated insufficient knowledge, generally positive attitudes, and relatively proactive practices, though many scored below adequacy thresholds. Given the modest strength of the observed associations, these findings should be interpreted cautiously. Efforts may be directed toward enhancing parental education and supporting positive attitudes to potentially improve AD management, while future longitudinal studies are warranted to further clarify causal relationships.