THE DESCRIPTIVE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF WARTS IN BRITISH SCHOOLCHILDREN

This study set out to determine the prevalence and predictors of warts in British schoolchildren by analysing medical examination data from a national birth cohort study of 9263 British children born 3-9 March 1958. The prevalence of visible warts, according to a medical officer, at the age of 11 was 3 . 9% (9 5% confidence intervals 3.5-4.3) and 4 .9% (95% confidence intervals 4.5-5.4) at 16. Of the 364 children note d to have warts at the age of 11, 337(93%) no longer had warts at 16. Residence in the south of Britain, having a father with a non-manual o ccupation, being an only child, and belonging to an ethnic group other than white European were all associated with a decreased risk of visi ble warts. Region of residence was the strongest predictor of wart pre valence. There were no sex differences in wart prevalence. Warts repre sent a common source of morbidity in British schoolchildren. Future st udies should take into account age, regional factors, social class, fa mily size and ethnic group when comparing wart sufferers with other su bjects.