Topical Steroid Phobia Among Mothers of Children with Atopic Dermatitis

Abstract

Objective: Adherence to topical corticosteroids (TCS) is essential for the effective treatment of atopic dermatitis but some families have fears and concerns about TCS phobia. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the knowledge, opinions and fear about topical steroids among mothers of patients who used topical steroid therapy for their atopic dermatitis (AD) and its effect on drug compliance and disease severity. Materials and Methods: Mothers were asked to fill in a questionnaire that consisted of 12 questions that evaluate the fears, beliefs, knowledge and behaviors about TCS usage. Results: The questionnaire was answered by mothers of 141 children with AD. The mothers' most common (44.7%) beliefs about TCS were determined as "Cortisone creams damage your skin" and "Cortisone creams will effect my future health''. The most common (71.6%) fear mothers had about TCS creams was determined as 'Using cortisone creams too much''. It was found that 83.3% of mothers who were found to be afraid of using TCS often were well educated (p=0.002). Conclusion: Most of our patients and mothers have fears about TCS and they don't have enough knowledge about their treatment. Therefore, they need assurance and information about TCSs that may include written and/or video-assisted information about TCS treatment given by healthcare professionals in order to decrease TCS phobia and increase compliance with the treatment.