Introduction: Skin diseases (SDs) are one of the most common health problems in Nepal. The
objectives of this study are to determine the prevalence of SDs and impact on quality of life
(QoL) in a rural community in Nepal.
M ethods:A house-to-house survey was conducted in a community with 3,207 inhabitants, to
obtain socio-demographic data and identify individuals with SDs. Free examination and treatment
was offered at 4 health camps. Individuals with long-standing SDs were interviewed using the
Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI).
Results: Of 735 individuals attending the health camps, 645 (mean age 24.9 years, range 0.5
-90) had one or more SDs. The overall prevalence of SDs was 20.1% (males 18.1%, females
22.5% and children 28.2%). The most common SD categories were eczemas (12.2%), pigment
disorders (4.1%), acne (2.7%), urticaria (2.4%) and moles and lumps (1.6%). In the Nepalese
culture, the DLQI question on sexuality was too direct so only 9/10 questions were used. In the
75 patients who were interviewed, the mean DLQI score was 10.7 (range 7-19), indicating a
large impact on QoL.
Conclusions: This population-based study shows that SDs were very common in a rural
communityin Nepal.The ve most common SD categories comprise 77% of all SDs.Targeted
training should enable health-care workers to prevent, accurately diagnose and manage these
problems on site. An appropriate instrument to measure QoL adjusted to the socio-cultural
norms of Nepal has to be developed.