Pediculosis in a paediatric greek population: regressions of socioeconomic factors

Background: Pediculosis in humans and especially children is a very common dermatological disorder caused by the parasites Pediculus humanus capitis, Pediculus humanus humanus and/or Pediculus phthirus pubis. Aim: The aim of this study was to further investigate the relations of studied socioeconomic variables towards the understanding of pediculosis dynamics in the Greek population. Materials and methods: A total of 435 parents or parent couples were investigated with respect to their socioeconomic background and the prevalence of pediculosis in their children. Linear regression has been applied in order to identify further patterns of pediculosis dynamics. Results: Regression analysis revealed distinct dynamics with respect to several socioeconomic factors such as education and income. Discussion: It appeared that income and education are influential with respect to the prevalence of pediculosis, while parents’ gender appears also of great importance since mothers are the determining factor in pediculosis prevalence. Correspondence to: George I. Lambrou, First Department of Pediatrics, Choremeio Research Laboratory, University of Athens, Athens-Goudi 11527, Greece, Tel: +00302107467427; Fax: +00302107467427; E-mail: [email protected]