{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,19]],"date-time":"2026-02-19T19:18:09Z","timestamp":1771528689239,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":18,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,19]],"date-time":"2026-02-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1771459200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"\n Background<\/jats:title>\n Skin diseases are conditions that affect the skin. Skin diseases encompass various conditions, including infections, allergies, inflammatory disorders, and infestation. Skin diseases are a significant public health concern, particularly among school-age children, as they can cause discomfort, and social stigma, and influence overall well-being. There is limited research conducted specifically among school-age children, especially in the postwar period, hindering the understanding of the extent of the problem and the identification of potential contributing factors. In Ethiopia, a study conducted on primary schoolchildren shows that the prevalence of skin diseases was 61.2%.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n A school-based cross-sectional study was employed from September 10 to October 30, 2024, in selected schools of Eastern Tigray. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to choose Woredas and schools. Subsequently, 603 school-age children were recruited using systematic random sampling. Data were collected through interviewer-administered structured questionnaires and physical examination. Binary logistic regression was used to determine the strength of the association. Variables with a p-value <0.2 were selected for multivariable analysis, and a p-value <0.05 in the final model was considered statistically significant.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Result<\/jats:title>\n The prevalence of skin disease among school-age children in the Rural District of the Eastern Zone was 411 (68.2%). Moreover, the factors associated with skin disease in this study were living in IDP (AOR\u2009=\u20092.96; 95% CI: 1.86\u20134.7), families with history of skin disease (AOR\u2009=\u20098.22; 95% CI: 5.19\u201313), sharing personal items (AOR\u2009=\u20093.89; 95% CI: 2.11\u20137.17), children who sometimes wash their hands before meals (AOR\u2009=\u20091.97; 95% CI: 0.99\u20133.89), and children who never wash their hands regularly (AOR\u2009=\u20094.93; 95% CI: 2.66\u20139.11).<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n The prevalence of skin disease among school-age children was high. Proper hand hygiene, not sharing personal items, and treating family members with skin diseases can help decrease the prevalence of skin diseases.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0342768","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,19]],"date-time":"2026-02-19T18:31:21Z","timestamp":1771525881000},"page":"e0342768","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Prevalence and associated factors of skin disease among school-age children of rural district of eastern zone of Tigray, Ethiopia, 2024"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-0958-5526","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Mulugeta 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