Self-reported skin concerns: An epidemiological study of community-dwelling older people

Background Globally the population is getting older and it is essential to develop effective interventions to promote healthy ageing. Skin change with age is inevitable and renders this often neglected organ more vulnerable to damage and breakdown; this can be costly to individuals and society. Maintenance of skin health in older people presents a health challenge that has yet to be fully understood or addressed. Aim To identify the frequency and impact of self-reported skin concerns in community-dwelling older people. Methods Cross sectional, self-reported questionnaire survey in England. Patients registered with participating general practices (n=3), aged ≥ 70 years, living in their own homes and able to give informed consent (n=3359) were sent a letter of invitation to a free health and care assessment and 1116 responded. Methods Data were collected from August 2015 - January 2016. An adapted version of the validated EASYCare Standard 2010 questionnaire was completed by self-report. Results When asked “do you have any concerns about your skin?” 16.5% (n=183) said yes. Of this group the most common concerns were dry skin 80.7% (n=146), itching 56.9% (n=103) and aged appearance 61% (n=113). Itch, dry skin and inflammation were rated as most bothersome. There was a significant association between the dry skin and itch χ2(1) = 6.9, p