Key clinical point: Onset and persistence of atopic dermatitis (AD) in children is associated with delinquent behaviors during childhood and adolescence.
Major finding: AD in children aged 5 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.31; 95% CI 1.04-1.64) or 9 years (aOR 1.38; 95% CI 1.14-1.67) was associated with ≥75th percentile of mean delinquent behavior scores at age 9 or 15 years. At 9 years of age, a 1-year history of AD was associated with smoking at age 15 years (aOR 1.46; 95% CI 1.00-2.13), damaging property (aOR 1.38; 95% CI 1.08-1.77), cheating on a test (aOR 1.62; 95% CI 1.17-2.26), and school suspension (aOR 1.36; 95% CI 1.08-1.71).
Study details: Findings are from the prospective, longitudinal birth cohort Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study including 4,898 children aged 1, 3, 5, 9, or 15 years, of which 16.4%, 17.5%, and 16% of children aged 5, 9, and 15 years, respectively, had AD.
Disclosures: This study did not report any source of funding. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Source: Manjunath J et al. Arch Dermatol Res. 2022 (Jan 10). Doi: 10.1007/s00403-021-02314-y.