Dermatosis among overweight and obese children attending a tertiary care centre - A prospective study

Abstract

Obesity is a chronic disease that is increasing worldwide, both amongst adults and children. As per family health survey conducted by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2022, 38% women and 36.5% of men in Kerala are overweight or obese. It can affect almost all organs, including the skin. Obesity among children is increasing in India with an overall prevalence of 8-10% (15-20% in urban population). The cutaneous manifestations can be associated both with the age of onset and duration of obesity. However, studies showing association with class of obesity and cutaneous manifestations are lacking and hence we undertook this study, to know the association in children attending a tertiary care center. This was a prospective study carried out over a period of 6 months from May 2021 to November 2021 in our centre. A total of 133 children, aged 6–16 years with BMI >25 kg/ m2 were included in the study. After taking informed consent from the parents/attendants; demographic details, height and weight were recorded and systemic examination was done. A detailed cutaneous examination was performed, and all the findings were noted in a predesigned proforma. Relevant investigations were carried out, wherever deemed necessary. A total of 133 children (male/female 63.9%/ 36.1%) were included in the study with a mean age of 10.97 ± 2.72. The mean BMI of the patients was 28.43 ± 3 kg/ m. Majority of the patients (78.9%) were overweight; 17.3% had Class I obesity, 3% had Class II obesity and 0.8% had Class III obesity. The most common cutaneous changes observed in our patient group were acanthosis (62.4%), seborrheic dermatitis (47.4%), sebomelanosis (37.6%), frictional dermatitis (29.3%), striae distensae (24.8%), tinea cruris (24.8%), SD-seborrheic dermatitis(18.1%), plantar hyperkeratosis (10.5%) and achrochordon (3.8%). The incidence of acanthosis nigricans, striae, sebomelanosis, frictional dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, verruca, keratosis pilaris and acne were higher in children with Class II obesity while acanthosis, striae, acne, and hirsutism was more common in Class III obesity.As the prevalence of obesity is increasing among the children, the paediatricians and dermatologists should be aware of its various manifestations including the cutaneous ones to ensure their early diagnoses and treatment, which are as common as in adults, and can be a source of great physical or psychological morbidity.