The Inappropriate Usage and Marketing of Laundry Sanitizers in Infantile Atopic Dermatitis: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a shift in public perception and purchasing behavior towards disinfection products, leading to a global popularity of laundry sanitizers (LSs). However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the relationship between the use of LSs and infantile atopic dermatitis (AD). Objective This study aimed to investigate the potential association between the use of LSs and infantile AD and to discuss possible options for improvement from the perspective of instructions and marketing strategies for these products. Methods This was a cross-sectional survey study that was divided into two parts. In Part 1, a web-based self-administered survey was conducted among 905 caregivers of children under 2 years old. The relationship between infantile AD and the use of LSs was evaluated by logistic regression. In Part 2, a survey was conducted to analyze the product instructions and marketing strategies of the 6 most frequently used LSs from Part 1. Potentially inadequate instructions and induced marketing strategies were evaluated using a qualitative approach. Results A total of 837 valid questionnaires were analyzed; 31.9% (267/837) of the children were identified as having infantile AD. Among the caregivers, 29.6% (248/837) reported using LSs, but only 39.1% (97/248) followed the instructions for use. Adjusted logistic regression revealed that children whose caregivers used LSs as instructed had a decreased risk of infantile AD (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.25–0.79) compared to those whose caregivers did not use LSs, while children whose caregivers did not use LSs as instructed had an increased risk (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.02–2.26). In addition, the product investigation showed that 3 of the 6 LSs induced consumers through COVID-19-related issues (such as health promotion during the pandemic). However, 5 of these products did not emphasize the importance of appropriate usage, and all 6 products were inappropriately marketed as friendly to the skin. Conclusions The appropriate use of LSs may decrease the risk of infantile AD, while inappropriate use of LSs may increase this risk. Inadequate information and inappropriate marketing of these products could have contributed to consumers underestimating the importance of using them appropriately.