(096) COVID-19 Pandemic and the Consumption of Self-Care Products for Pediculosis Capitis in Portugal: An Interrupted Time-Series Analysis

Background: Transmission of pediculosis capitis is highly dependent on direct contact with an infested individual. On March 18th 2020, the Portuguese government declared a state of emergency which was accompanied by the implementation of several public health strategies that have affected the dynamics of certain clinical conditions. COVID-19 influence on self-manageable conditions has not yet undergone thorough analysis, particularly regarding their infestations caused by head lice. Moreover, some evidence points to an increase in resistance to topical treatments in recent years.

Objectives: This study aims to assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the consumption of self-care products for pediculosis capitis, in Portugal, and further evaluate the influence of social and demographic variables.

Methods: A segmented regression analysis of interrupted time series (March 2020) was performed from January 2017 to August 2023 to analyse the short and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the consumption of pediculicides and related products. Monthly rates of absolute consumption were estimated by community pharmacies’ dispensing records. Portuguese municipalities were organized into quintiles according to their purchasing power index and percentage of youth, to study the association of these social and demographic variables on the volume of sales of these products.

Results: COVID-19 pandemic significantly reduced the sales of products indicated for pediculosis. Since the start of the pandemic, an absolute decrease of 21.0 thousand packages was observed in the monthly average consumption (p < 0.0001) compared to the pre-pandemic period. After this reduction, the average monthly trend increased in the pandemic period in comparison with the previous period, although not significant (267.0 packages per month, p=0.1102). Regions with more disposable income and more young people were associated with a higher total of sales of products for pediculosis.

Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant short-term impact affecting the consumption of self-care products for pediculosis capitis, in Portugal. The public health measures applied may have caused a decrease in pediculosis cases, translating into fewer product sales.