Geospatial insights in alopecia quality of life research

Summary: Abstract Body: Although alopecia disproportionately affects ethnoracial minorities and significantly impacts quality of life (QoL), the geographical distribution of related research and variations in QoL scale usage remain poorly understood. We examined global patterns in alopecia research and the adoption of QoL measures based on author affiliations and research sites. 90 original peer-reviewed articles on alopecia and QoL were included. Data was extracted on the geographical distribution of author affiliations & research sites and utilization of various QoL scales. Regional trends and differences in scale utilization were analyzed through χ2. The USA (21/90, 23.3%), Turkey (10/90, 11.1%), and Spain (9/90, 10%) led in author affiliations, with Europe (38/90, 42.2%), Asia (29/90, 32.2%), and North America (21/90, 23.3%) dominating at the continental level. Research site distribution followed similar patterns, with the USA (16/90, 17.8%), Turkey (9/90, 10%), and Spain (8/90, 8.9%) as the top countries, and Europe (36/90, 40%), Asia (29/90, 32.2%), and North America (17/90, 18.9%) as the top continents. Significant regional differences were observed in the use of DLQI, which was employed more frequently in studies from Asia (19/29, 65.5%) and Europe (20/36, 55.6%) compared to North America (8/21, 38.1%) (p = 0.05). No significant differences were found in the adoption of hair/alopecia-specific scales, SkinDex, other dermatologic scales, and non-dermatologic scales across countries or continents. Overall, this study highlights significant geographical differences in research production and use of DLQI scales in alopecia research. Understanding these regional differences may inform global standardization efforts and improve the cross-cultural applicability of QoL assessments in alopecia, and future research should explore the drivers behind these differences and their implications for patient-centered care. Selina J. Chang¹, Sydney E. DeVore¹, Monet Weldon¹, Emma Kozuch¹, Viktoria Voragen¹, Sydney Barlow¹, Esther Nwozo², Chinazaekpere Nwankpa¹, Tiffany Mayo³ 1. University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States. 2. Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States. 3. Dermatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States. Clinical Research: Epidemiology and Observational Research