The Global Prevalence of Seborrheic Dermatitis
Clinical Summary
View sourceWhat was studied
Systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis of prevalence studies with clinician-diagnosed seborrheic dermatitis (search through October 2023), assessing global, age-specific, and geographic prevalence.
Key findings
Across 121 studies including 1,260,163 individuals, pooled global prevalence was 4.38% (95% CI, 3.58%-5.17%; I2=99.94%). Adults had higher prevalence (5.64% [95% CI, 4.01%-7.27%]) than children (3.70% [95% CI, 2.69%-4.80%]) and neonates (0.23% [95% CI, 0.04%-0.43%]); estimates were highest in South Africa (8.82% [95% CI, 3.00%-14.64%]) and lowest in India (2.62% [95% CI, 1.33%-3.92%]).
Study limitations
Between-study heterogeneity was extreme (I2=99.94%), limiting confidence in a single pooled prevalence.
Clinical implications
Seborrheic dermatitis affects about 4% of people worldwide, with higher rates in adults and wide regional variation; local prevalence may differ substantially from the global average.
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