BACKGROUND: Previous studies have discussed attitudes of vitiligo patients toward their disease. However, no studies have addressed this issue from the public's point of view. OBJECTIVE: To explore the perceptions, attitudes, and misconceptions of the public toward vitiligo. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to attendees of primary health care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between January and August 2010. RESULTS: Overall, 924 of the 1,000 distributed questionnaires were returned, and 429 were males (46.8%). Moreover, 33.1% (303 of 916) believed that vitiligo is contagious or did not know that it is not. The cause of vitiligo was thought to be infectious by 20.4% of respondents (182 of 894), inherited by 40.5% (365 of 902), autoimmune by 41.2% (370 of 899), and due to a lack of hygiene by 22.5% (199 of 883). Unmarried individuals and those with less education were more likely to state that vitiligo is caused by an infection (. = .02, . = .03, respectively). Younger individuals and those with less education were more likely to think that vitiligo is caused by a lack of hygiene (. = .01, . = .001, respectively). More than half of the participants (56.1%, 504 of 898) would be unwilling to marry a vitiligo patient. Younger individuals and males were less likely to marry a vitiligo patient (. = .01, . = .05, respectively), whereas those of lower income were more likely to accept it (. = .002). CONCLUSIONS: Various misconceptions and negative attitudes about vitiligo among the public are prevalent. Educating the public about vitiligo could ultimately lead to better psychosocial well-being of vitiligo patients.
BACKGROUND: Previous studies have discussed attitudes of vitiligo patients toward their disease. However, no studies have addressed this issue from the public's point of view. OBJECTIVE: To explore the perceptions, attitudes, and misconceptions of the public toward vitiligo. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to attendees of primary health care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between January and August 2010. RESULTS: Overall, 924 of the 1,000 distributed questionnaires were returned, and 429 were males (46.8%). Moreover, 33.1% (303 of 916) believed that vitiligo is contagious or did not know that it is not. The cause of vitiligo was thought to be infectious by 20.4% of respondents (182 of 894), inherited by 40.5% (365 of 902), autoimmune by 41.2% (370 of 899), and due to a lack of hygiene by 22.5% (199 of 883). Unmarried individuals and those with less education were more likely to state that vitiligo is caused by an infection (. = .02, . = .03, respectively). Younger individuals and those with less education were more likely to think that vitiligo is caused by a lack of hygiene (. = .01, . = .001, respectively). More than half of the participants (56.1%, 504 of 898) would be unwilling to marry a vitiligo patient. Younger individuals and males were less likely to marry a vitiligo patient (. = .01, . = .05, respectively), whereas those of lower income were more likely to accept it (. = .002). CONCLUSIONS: Various misconceptions and negative attitudes about vitiligo among the public are prevalent. Educating the public about vitiligo could ultimately lead to better psychosocial well-being of vitiligo patients.
Authors: Khaled Ezzedine; Viktoria Eleftheriadou; Heather Jones; Kristen Bibeau; Fiona I Kuo; Daniel Sturm; Amit G Pandya Journal: Am J Clin Dermatol Date: 2021-09-23 Impact factor: 7.403