A preliminary study on the status of alopecia areata patients’ illness perceptions
YU Nan-lan
TAN Huan
YANG Xi-chuan
Abstract：Objective To investigate the cognitive degree about the disease in patients with alopecia areata and to analyze the related factors of illness perceptions about alopecia areata. Methods Choose the first diagnosed patients with alopecia areata to complete the brief illness perception questionnaire (BIPQ) at the department of dermatology clinic of Southwest Hospital of Third Military Medical University, from October 2013 to October 2014. Results The patients’ average age: 31.82±10.28; male/female ratio: 0.71; the overall BIPQ score: 40.15±9.12. The highest item-related scores were found for concern (8.42±2.20), consequences ( 5.72±2.88) and emotional response (5.68±2.85), and the lowest for treatment control (3.35±2.63) and identity (3.09±2.36 ). The difference of BIPQ is relevant to sex. Other factors such as age, marriage, education, family history, job category and duration and so on, make no difference. Conclusions The BIPQ reveals gender difference in alopecia areata. Doctors should pay more attention to the cognition about the disease in patients with alopecia areata, correct patients’ excessive perceptions of their illness and heavier mental stress, establish scientiifc perception of disease, so as to promote disease recovery.
Keywords：Alopecia areataIllness perceptionsQuestionnaireBIPQ
Publication Date：2015-01-01
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：5( 245-248,252 )