Impact of childhood atopic dermatitis and its financial cost to a Singaporean family

Introduction The high prevalence rate of childhood atopic dermatitis (AD) is a growing concern in Singapore due to its financial burden and negative influences on families. There is a lack of literature in understanding the family impact and financial burden of childhood AD. Therefore, this study explores the extent to which childhood AD impacts the family and its financial burden. Method A total of 299 parents were recruited in the study. Questionnaires were used to record out-of-pocket expenditures and assess family impact through a scoring system in families whose children have AD. Results Significant differences was found in mean dermatitis family impact (DFI) score depending on degree of severity (p<0.0001). There were no significant differences between the average out-of-pocket expenses of mild (SGD$53), moderate (SGD$62) and severe AD (SGD$82). Correlations between out-of-pocket expenses and DFI score was revealed to be significant, p-value