Ultraviolet index is associated with childhood eczema prevalence: Sex and age differences

Eczema is a chronic inflammatory skin condition whose development is related to environmental and genetic factors. The report of a positive association of latitude with the prevalence of childhood eczema suggests an important role for climate in the pathogenesis of eczema (1). The effect of ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposureis one of the candidate explanations for this observation, and is corroborated by a study in the United States reporting an inverse relationship between UV index and the prevalence of childhood eczema (2). We aimed to verify this association by further evaluating sex and age differences. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.