Needs Assessment to Enhance Knowledge of People in Puerto Rico Living with Alopecia Areata

Abstract

Objective: Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune condition which affects hair follicles provoking their loss. Although the cumulative incidence of AA in the United States is estimated at 2.1%, the number of people living with this condition in Puerto Rico is unknown. In addition, little has been published about people in Puerto Rico who have this condition and its impact on health. We conducted a needs assessment study to help reduce this information gap and address the perceived needs of people living with AA in Puerto Rico. Methods: A needs assessment study was conducted with a non-experimental, descriptive, transversal design. A 40-item questionnaire was available through the Google Forms platform. Descriptive analysis was conducted. Results: Most of the participants were women, had AA universalis, were diagnosed (on average) at 19 years of age, and were receiving treatment at the time of the survey. Most of the participants reported having both access to information or education about alopecia and the support of their family and friends but professed needing informational support. In particular, they wanted to find out about treatment options for their alopecia. Conclusion: Gender and time since the onset of AA appear to be important variables that must be considered when conducting future studies and interventions with this population. These future studies and interventions should address the informational support needs of people living with AA.