Relative frequency of Pityriasis versicolor and some risk factors in girl's high schools of Birjand, 2009

Pityriasis versicolor is a common chronic recurrent fungal infection of skin, that several environmental factors are implicated in its creation. The present study was aimed to determine the relative frequency of pityriasis versicolor and its risk factors in girl's high schools of Birjand city in 2009. In this cross-sectional study, 1970 female students were selected with multi-stage cluster sampling method. A self-made questionnaire based on the objectives of the study was completed for all subjects. Diagnosis was made by physical examination and confirmed by laboratory methods. Data were analyzed by means of SPSS (version 11.5) at the significant leve l of P<0.05. The relative frequency of pityriasis versicolor in girl's high schools of Birjand city was 2.7%. The highest infection rate was in the 16-18 year group (86%). The most affected area of the body was neck (43.4%) and the lowest involvement (1.9%) was in arms. Among the studied risk factors, family history (P=0.002) and a history of previous infection (P<0.001) had a significant association with pityriasis versicolor; but not with the age and the number of baths per week. Regarding the frequency of pityriasis versicolor among female students of Birjand's high schools and the effect of some predisposing factors, referring to the dermatologist and training the families about this disease is recommended.