Does atopic dermatitis affect achievement at school?
Little research had been done on the topic but but evidence is starting to build, expert says
Two registry studies in JAMA Dermatology point to connections between atopic dermatitis and lower educational attainment and learning disabilities in young people.
In the first study, Dr Sinead Langan of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and colleagues analysed data on nearly 6000 Danish children with atopic dermatitis (AD) and more than 55,000 age- and sex- matched children from the general population.
Compared with their peers, children with AD were at 50% increased risk of not attaining lower secondary education (2.5% vs 1.7%) and 16% greater risk of not finishing upper secondary education (19.8% vs 16.4%).
Levels of achievement of higher education were not significantly different between the two groups, however.
