Some Epidemiologic Aspects of Common Warts in Rural Primary School Children

Cutaneous warts are common in children worldwide, although the prevalence figures are conflicting. There are few publications on that issue, particularly in rural Egypt. The present cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence of warts of hands in rural primary school children and to examine some risk factors associated with warts in these children. The study examined 1833 children from 15 rural primary schools in Dakahlia governorate, Egypt, for the presence of warts. Data about sociodemographic, lifestyle, and environmental factors were collected. Prevalence of warts was estimated. Appropriate statistical analyses including multivariate logistic regression were done. The prevalence of warts of hands in the studied children was 2.3% (1.3–3.3%) with no significant sex difference. The risk of warts increased significantly in children reported swimming in Nile channels (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 5.6; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.9–10.6) and child labor (adjusted OR = 4.5; 95% CI = 2.3–8.8). A ninety percent risk reduction was observed in children with educated parents. The study findings demonstrated a significant increase in the risk of warts among rural children reported swimming in Nile channels and child labor. Parents’ education, on the other hand, was found to play an important role in risk reduction. 1. Introduction Skin diseases are a common cause of morbidity, especially among school children, worldwide [1]. It is considered to be the second most common cause for medical consultation for children in rural communities [2]. Although skin disease is rarely lethal, it can have a significant impact in terms of treatment cost, days absent from school, and psychological distress [1–3]. Verrucae vulgaris (common warts) constitute a common skin problem in children that commonly affect hands and feet. Verrucae are benign epithelial proliferations caused by double stranded DNA virus called human papillomavirus (HPV), of which there are more than 100 different genotypes [4, 5]. Cutaneous warts are among the three most common dermatoses in children, and these lesions follow acne and atopic dermatitis in frequency of diagnosis in pediatric dermatology clinics [6]. There have been several studies on the prevalence of cutaneous warts among school children in Egypt and worldwide with the prevalence varying from 2.4% to 33% [7–12], with an equal frequency in both sexes. Some of these studies have assessed the risk factors to increase the risk of common warts among children and adolescents. Of these factors, low social class, big family size, and