A paper published by the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology indicates that environmental factors are key to the manifestation of eczema. This is because genetic factors are not likely to change in the span of time covered by the study (ten years).
The leader of the eczema research, Hywel Williams, Professor of Dermato-Epidemiology in the Centre of Evidence-Based Dermatology at The University of Nottingham, says that even moderate cases of eczema have a significant impact on family life. The cost of treating eczema also poses a financial burden that is similar to that of asthma.
Professor Williams summarizes the study: