Abstract

Objectives

Dermatitis is a common chronic inflammatory skin condition with a heterogeneous etiology and varying global burden. This study aimed to characterize the spatiotemporal evolution of dermatitis burden and investigate its ecological associations with dietary patterns across socio-demographic gradients from 1990 to 2023.

Methods

Using data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, we analyzed age-standardized disability-adjusted life-years for dermatitis across socio-demographic index (SDI) regions. We used similarity-based measures to assess regional convergence patterns and applied fixed-effects panel regression to examine ecological associations with dietary factors.

Results

Global dermatitis disability-adjusted life-years declined modestly from 205.6 to 196.3 per 100 000 population during 1990 to 2023 (Estimated annual percentage change: −0.14%, 95% CI: −0.15 to −0.13), with substantial heterogeneity across SDI strata. The middle SDI region carried the highest burden (286.2 per 100 000 in 2023) and showed distinct epidemiological patterns. Spatiotemporal analysis revealed a consistent 3-phase dynamic: initial heterogeneity (1990-1994), convergence with peak synchronization (2002-2009), and subsequent redivergence (post-2010). Ecological analyses demonstrated stable positive associations for high processed meat intake (β = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.23 to 2.73) and low dietary fiber intake (β = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.18 to 0.31) with dermatitis burden, whereas other dietary factors showed context-dependent associations.

Conclusions

The findings highlight the potential importance of dietary factors and period-specific influences in dermatitis epidemiology, emphasizing the need for development-tailored prevention strategies that account for both dietary patterns and spatiotemporal dynamics.