Psoriasis awareness among Italian patients: results of a nationwide survey.

Background: This was a prospective, multicentre study conducted in 14 Italian psoriasis referral centres (January-June 2014) with the objective of identifying factors associated with different levels of patient awareness on psoriasis.
Methods: Overall, 298 patients (119 females, mean age 49.4 years, range 20-88) with a diagnosis of psoriasis (median of 14.1 years) were enrolled. Patients were more knowledgeable about the pathogenic nature of their condition compared with the other parameters (diagnosis, clinical course, prognosis, effect on QoL). Variables associated with significantly higher awareness, included years of education (the higher the educational levels the greater awareness), internet usage, other family member with the disease, diet rich in fruit/vegetables, cigarette smoking and bone and joint involvement.
Results: Older age, diabetes, and alcohol abuse were inversely associated.
Conclusions: Having established factors that affect awareness in our patients we can now go on to devise educational interventions to address these needs.