Announcement of the Korean Dermatological Association's Public Awareness Survey Results
Only 2 out of 10 Symptomatic Individuals Visit Hospitals
'Surviving Athlete's Foot' Awareness Improvement Campaign Launched
Kim Yu-chan, President of the Korean Dermatological Association (Professor of Dermatology at Ajou University Hospital), is making a presentation.
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Half of the population does not have a proper understanding of athlete's foot and many mistakenly believe that it can be cured simply by maintaining cleanliness. It was also found that the majority do not visit a hospital even when symptoms are present, highlighting the urgent need for awareness improvement.
On the morning of the 15th, the Korean Dermatological Association held a press conference at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, to disclose the results of a nationwide public awareness survey on athlete's foot. In this survey conducted with 1,000 adults, 54% of the general public and 43.7% of those who have experienced athlete's foot responded that they did not know in detail what kind of disease athlete's foot is.
When asked what comes to mind regarding athlete's foot, 79.6% answered that it is a "common disease that anyone can get." However, misconceptions such as "a disease that can be cured just by maintaining cleanliness" (38%), "a disease more common in men than women" (36%), and "a disease that only occurs in humid and hot summers" (35.2%) were also widely spread.
As many as 88.4% of respondents had heard that athlete's foot medication is harsh, indicating a strong prejudice against the drugs. Professor Kim Hyo-jin of the Department of Dermatology at Busan Paik Hospital, who presented the topic, explained, "In the past, antifungal treatments caused photosensitivity or liver damage, which led to the misconception that the medication is harsh. However, nowadays, safer drugs with fewer side effects have replaced them," adding, "Many misunderstandings stem from common beliefs, but the side effects of medications prescribed in dermatology clinics are very low."
Although there was consensus on the need for professional treatment for athlete's foot, actual hospital visits were rare. While 70.5% of respondents believed that consultation with a doctor is essential for athlete's foot treatment, only 18.8% reported visiting a hospital immediately after symptoms appeared. Most took measures such as purchasing medication at pharmacies (49.9%), using folk remedies (7.4%), or searching the internet (7.3%), and 16.7% said they did nothing.
Kim Yoo-chan, president of the Korean Dermatological Association and professor of dermatology at Ajou University Hospital, stated, "Athlete's foot is a common disease with at least one or two patients around us, but many struggle with treatment due to a lack of accurate information." He diagnosed, "This survey also revealed widespread misconceptions about athlete's foot and low awareness and practice of professional treatment through dermatology specialists." He added, "Going forward, the association will continuously strive to provide correct and accurate information about athlete's foot through various methods so that the public can quickly overcome the difficulties of athlete's foot and protect their precious foot health."
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