Disease Awareness and Treatment Preferences in Vitiligo: A Cross-sectional Study in China

In China, there is a lack of data regarding the awareness and treatment preferences among patients with vitiligo and their families. To address this gap, a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted to investigate disease awareness and treatment preferences in Chinese patients with vitiligo. The study also evaluated willingness to pay, using 2 standardized items, and assessed quality of life, using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) score. Data from 307 patients with vitiligo (59.3% women, mean age 28.98 years, range 2–73 years) were analysed. Of these patients, 44.7% had insufficient knowledge of vitiligo, particularly those from rural areas or with low levels of education. Mean DLQI total score was 4.86 (5.24 for women and 4.30 for men). Among the most accepted treatments were topical drugs, phototherapy, and systemic therapy. Patients were relatively conservative about the duration and cost of treatment, with only 27.7% willing to pay more than 10,000 Chinese yuan renminbi (CNY) for complete disease remission. High level of education, high income, skin lesions in specific areas, and skin transplantation therapy predicted higher willingness to pay. Insufficient knowledge was associated with a higher burden of disease. In order to reduce the disease burden and improve treatment adherence it is crucial to enhance disease awareness and take into account patient preferences. SIGNIFICANCE This study investigated disease awareness and treatment preferences in 307 Chinese patients with vitiligo. Results indicated that 44.7% of patients lacked knowledge about the disease, particularly those from rural areas or with low levels of education. Insufficient knowledge was associated with a higher burden of disease. High level of education, high income, skin lesions in specific areas and skin transplantation therapy predicted higher willingness to pay for treatment. These data support enhancing disease awareness and taking into account patient preferences in order to reduce disease burden and improve treatment adherence.