Table 2.
Treatments for and complications of superficial fungal infections (ringworm and fungal nail infections)—Porter Novelli Summer ConsumerStyles Survey, United States, 2022 1.
| Total (n = 492) | Diagnosed by a Healthcare Provider 2 (n = 190) | Not Diagnosed by a Healthcare Provider (n = 302) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treatments | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | p-Value |
| Non-prescription cream, powder, etc. | 273 (55.5%) | 69 (36.3%) | 203 (67.2%) | <0.001 |
| Prescription cream, powder, etc. | 110 (22.4%) | 88 (46.3%) | 23 (7.6%) | <0.001 |
| Prescription medicine taken by mouth | 59 (12.0%) | 50 (26.3%) | 9 (3.0%) | <0.001 |
| Alternative or natural treatment | 90 (18.3%) | 25 (13.2%) | 65 (21.5%) | 0.030 |
| None of the above | 84 (17.1%) | 24 (12.6%) | 60 (19.9%) | 0.085 |
| Side effects of treatment (n = 408) | 14 (3.4%) | 11 (6.7%) | 3 (1.2%) | 0.003 |
| Treatment did not cure infection (n = 408) | 98 (24.0%) | 52 (31.5%) | 46 (19.0%) | 0.008 |
| Complications | 141 (28.7%) | 54 (28.4%) | 88 (29.1%) | 0.900 |
| Bacterial infection (“cellulitis”) | 37 (7.5%) | 20 (10.5%) | 17 (5.6%) | 0.138 |
| Permanent skin or nail damage | 119 (24.2%) | 39 (20.5%) | 80 (26.5%) | 0.212 |
1 We did not observe notable differences in demographic or health-related factors among people with healthcare provider-diagnosed vs. self-diagnosed infections. 2 Three respondents who reported having ringworm diagnosed by a healthcare provider also reported self-diagnosed ringworm, and 9 respondents who reported having a fungal nail infection diagnosed by a healthcare provider also reported a self-diagnosed fungal nail infection.