PREVALENCE OF VITILIGO AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG PATIENTS ATTENDING DERMATOLOGY OUTPATIENT DEPARTMENT (OPD) AT ST. PAUL’S HOSPITAL MILLENNIUM MEDICAL COLLEGE

Abstract

Background: Vitiligo is skin disease having a major impact on the quality of life of the patient suffering from it. The substantial disfigurement associated with vitiligo can cause serious emotional stress for the patient, which necessitates treatment. The total number of people suffering from vitiligo is estimated to be around 65-95 million people worldwide and little known about Vitiligo in Ethiopia. Objective: To determine the prevalence and associated factors of vitiligo among patients attending dermatology outpatient department at SPHMMC from July2024- December 2024. Method: The study utilized an institutional-based cross-sectional study design conducted among patients visiting dermatology OPD at St. Paul’s Hospital millennium medical college in Addis Ababa in 2024. The sample size for the study was determined using single proportion and double population formulas. Systemic random sampling was employed with the proportional allocation of sample sizes. Every fifth patient was selected and interviewed until the required sample size was achieved. Results: The prevalence of confirmed vitiligo among the study patients was 9.6%. The most common type observed was vitiligo vulgaris (60.9%) of cases. Lesions were primarily located on the head and neck (34.8%). About 58.8% of patients were female, and the age distribution showed a large portion over 44 years old (29.6%). The mean age was 32.4 years. 10 (4.2%) patients reported a family history of vitiligo, and 43.5% had comorbidities, including diabetes and hypertension. The logistic regression analyses revealed patients having a family history of vitiligo were 15.6 times more likely to have the vitiligo (AOR: 15.6; 95% CI: 2.92-83.57) than those who had no. besides, patients having comorbidities were 3.3 times higher to have vitiligo (AOR: 3.3; 95% CI: 1.13-9.46) than those who had not. Conclusion: The prevalence of vitiligo was relatively higher. The family history of vitiligo and comorbidities are significant predictors of vitiligo. Therefore, awareness creation among persons with family history about the condition, including its causes, symptoms and available treatment options. Future research should aim to clarify the relationship between vitiligo and different comorbidities in different population. Key words: skin, vitiligo, chronic disease, st Paul