INTRODUCTION: Little is known about the risk factors of hospitalization for atopic dermatitis (AD).

OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine associations of hospitalization for AD in the United States.

METHODS: Data were analyzed from the 2002 to 2012 National Inpatient Sample. Atopic dermatitis hospitalizations were compared with controls, which included all hospitalizations without any diagnosis of AD excluding normal pregnancy/delivery, yielding a representative cohort of US hospitalizations.

RESULTS: Both adults and children, who were admitted for AD or eczema, were more likely to have nonwhite race/ethnicity, lowest-quartile annual household income, Medicaid or no insurance, and fewer chronic conditions. Increased cost of care and prolonged length of stay were also associated with nonwhite race/ethnicities, lowest-quartile annual household income, Medicaid or no insurance, and having a higher number of chronic conditions.

CONCLUSIONS: There are significant racial/ethnic and socioeconomic differences between patients hospitalized with AD versus without it, suggesting that there may be racial/ethnic and/or health care disparities in AD.