Awareness of Risk Factors for Skin Infections and its Impact on Quality of Life among Adults in a Malaysian City: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: To explore the level of awareness of risk factors related to skin infection and its impact on quality of life (QoL) in Klang, Malaysia.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among adults in Klang, Malaysia using a validated questionnaire and Dermatology Quality of Life Index (DLQI). A stratified and convenient sampling technique was executed. Multivariate analysis was employed to summarize significant relationships between variables.
Results: The prevalence of skin infection was 59 %. A majority (51.9 %) of the participants had experienced or claimed to have bacterial infections of the skin. More than 50 % of them were aware of the risk factors for skin infection. Several significant associations (p < 0.05) between variables of awareness of risk factors associated with skin infection and QoL were documented.
Conclusion: Awareness of the risk factors contributing to skin infection do play a major role in improving basic understanding of skin infections and quality of life among Malaysians in Klang.