Previous studies have shown that atopic dermatitis (AD) could affect students’ academic performance through numerous pathways, such as poor concentration associated with sleep deprivation, itching, and adverse effects of medication. However, the exact association between atopic dermatitis and education attainment is not clear. This study aims to determine how AD in students is associated with lower levels of educational attainment.
This population-based cohort study included a total of 61,153 children with an inpatient or outpatient hospital clinic diagnosis of AD before 13 years of age. The primary outcome of the study was an estimated probability or risk of not attaining specific education levels by 30 years of age.
Of the 61,153 children included in the study, 5,927 belonged to the AD cohort and 55,226 to the general population. The findings suggested that children with AD were at a higher risk of not attaining lower secondary education (2.5%) than the general population (1.7%). The risk increased for not attaining upper-secondary education (19.8% vs. 16.4%) and higher education (51.9% vs. 53.1%).
The research concluded that while children with atopic dermatitis were at a slightly higher risk of not attaining certain levels of education, the difference was not big when compared with the general population.
Ref: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/fullarticle/2778389?resultClick=1
