Cutaneous disorders of adolescence among Nigerian secondary school students

INTRODUCTION: A community-based, age-specific survey of skin disorders is usually necessary to characterize the true burden of skin disease among a given population and help to tailor health care personnel training and delivery towards the prevalent disorders in resource poor settings. METHODS: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study among adolescents attending secondary schools in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. A thousand and three hundred students were recruited from public and private secondary schools through a multi-staged stratified random sampling method. Information was obtained via a semi-structured questionnaire and all students underwent a physical examination. Data was analysed using SPSS version 20. Information generated was presented with tables and figures. RESULTS: The prevalence of skin disease in the study was 66.5%. More females, mid-adolescents, students in senior class and those attending public schools had skin disorders. The most prevalent skin disease were: acne vulgaris, pityriasis versicolor, tinea capitis, pityriasis capitis and traction alopecia. CONCLUSION: Skin conditions are highly prevalent among the adolescent population. Infective and inflammatory skin conditions appear to be more prevalent than other classes. Most times, only a few skin disorders account for the bulk of dermatoses affecting this age group. Adolescent skin healthcare should be subsidized because of the high prevalence of skin disorders in this age group.