OBJECTIVE: To describe trends in tinea capitis incidence among California children and to determine subpopulations at increased risk. DESIGN: Retrospective population-based study. SETTING: California, 1984 through 1993. POPULATION: Children < 10 years of age enrolled in Medi-Cal. OUTCOME MEASURES: California Medi-Cal provider data for first-time prescriptions of oral griseofulvin suspension were used to estimate annual incidence of tinea capitis and calculate risk ratios. RESULTS: From 1984 through 1993, the incident rate for prescriptions of oral griseofulvin suspension increased by 84.2% for all children, 140.4% for white children, and 209.7% for African-American children. In 1993, incidence rates (per 10,000 enrolled) were 252.1 claimants for African-American children, 23.1 for white, 17.5 for Hispanic, and 14.3 for Asian/Pacific Islander. The highest rate by location was San Francisco County (172.2). In age groups < 5 years and 5 to 9 years, African-American children were 13.1 and 17.6 times more likely to be prescribed griseofulvin than Hispanic children. Since 1987, incidence rates for children 5 to 9 years of age were higher compared with children ages < 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: Tinea capitis is epidemic among California children with higher rates in the northern counties studied. African-American children are the most affected by this epidemic; however, white children have also experienced increased rates.
OBJECTIVE: To describe trends in tinea capitis incidence among California children and to determine subpopulations at increased risk. DESIGN: Retrospective population-based study. SETTING: California, 1984 through 1993. POPULATION: Children < 10 years of age enrolled in Medi-Cal. OUTCOME MEASURES: California Medi-Cal provider data for first-time prescriptions of oral griseofulvin suspension were used to estimate annual incidence of tinea capitis and calculate risk ratios. RESULTS: From 1984 through 1993, the incident rate for prescriptions of oral griseofulvin suspension increased by 84.2% for all children, 140.4% for white children, and 209.7% for African-American children. In 1993, incidence rates (per 10,000 enrolled) were 252.1 claimants for African-American children, 23.1 for white, 17.5 for Hispanic, and 14.3 for Asian/Pacific Islander. The highest rate by location was San Francisco County (172.2). In age groups < 5 years and 5 to 9 years, African-American children were 13.1 and 17.6 times more likely to be prescribed griseofulvin than Hispanic children. Since 1987, incidence rates for children 5 to 9 years of age were higher compared with children ages < 5 years. CONCLUSIONS:Tinea capitis is epidemic among California children with higher rates in the northern counties studied. African-American children are the most affected by this epidemic; however, white children have also experienced increased rates.
Authors: Shelley S Magill; Liliana Manfredi; Andrew Swiderski; Bernard Cohen; William G Merz Journal: J Clin Microbiol Date: 2006-12-06 Impact factor: 5.948