International insights into bullying among patients with atopic dermatitis: global trends and key predictors

INTRODUCTION

The World Health Organization has called for global action to reduce stigmatization in patients with skin conditions. Atopic dermatitis (AD) is commonly associated with perceived stigmatization. The objective of our study was to identify the risk factors for bullying due to atopic dermatitis during childhood and adolescence.
The survey was conducted within the framework of « Scars of Life », a cross-sectional observational study. Proportional quota sampling was used based on the distribution of the population according to age, sex, environment (large cities, towns and rural areas) and income, in order to guarantee national representativeness of the sample. Participants were asked whether they had a physician-confirmed diagnosis of atopic dermatitis. Table 1 presents the sample size for each country and for each group. The questionnaire was developed in collaboration with patient associations, as well as international AD experts. Participants were contacted by e-mail to complete a structured digital questionnaire. The questionnaire included socio-demographic characteristics and age of onset of AD. For patients with physician-confirmed AD, they were asked if, during their childhood or adulthood, they had ever (1) felt excluded or different from others, (2) been mocked in a mean way or (3) been a victim of violence. A ‘yes’ answer to any of these 3 questions was considered bullying. The project was reviewed by an ethics committee: IDRCB 2023-A02722-43.