Gender Differences in Dermatoses at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals’ Complex, Ile-Ife

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the dermatoses associated with gender in this geographical area.

Study Design: A descriptive cross-sectional survey.

Place and Duration of Study: Dermatology Clinics of OAU Teaching Hospitals’ Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria between October 2009 and September 2012.

Methodology: Recruitment of consecutive patients presenting with skin diseases was done on two days in a week during the study period. Demographic data on age, gender and symptoms were taken, and the diagnosis of presenting skin conditions documented. The results were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social sciences (SPSS Inc. Released 2007. SPSS for Windows, Version 16.0. Chicago, SPSS Inc). The Odds ratio of dermatological diseases for both genders was obtained using WINPEPI 11.0 with 95% confidence interval and p value of 0.5 signifying a significant relationship between the dermatosis and gender type.

Results: Patients studied were 1013, aged 18-90 years, and 55% females. The male gender was significantly associated with acne keloidalis nuchae, folliculitis/carbunculosis, seborrhoeic eczema, lichen simplex chronicus, and Hansen’s disease. Drug reactions, seborrhoeic keratosis, miliaria rubra, and papular urticaria were, however, the only significant diseases in females.

Conclusion: Certain skin diseases are indeed significantly associated with gender. For some of these diseases, differences in the biophysical profile of the male and female have been found responsible. Other factors such as occupation predisposing to gender predilection will need to be further elucidated.