{
  "abstract": "Traction alopecia (TA) is preventable, yet population-level data on cumulative exposures in African cohorts remain scarce. This study characterized the epidemiology of TA among Ghanaian women and evaluated a multi-behavioral risk-stratification early-screening framework. We surveyed Ghanaian women in May 2026 using a structured questionnaire. Hairline status was classified using the Marginal Traction Alopecia Score (M-TAS). Associations between exposures and TA were evaluated using bivariable analyses and multivariable logistic regression. Model discrimination was assessed using the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUROC), and participants were stratified into risk tiers using predicted probabilities. The mean age of the 197 respondents was 23.1 ± 4.3 years, and 40.6% (80/197) had hairline recession consistent with TA. In the regression model, each additional year of age was associated with an 8.0% increase in the odds of recession (aOR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.00-1.16; p = 0.04). Keeping a single hairstyle for over 6 weeks showed a non-significant increase in estimated odds (aOR, 1.81; 95% CI, 0.59-5.60; p = 0.30) while > 2 high-frequency thermal styling sessions/month (aOR, 5.65; 95% CI, 1.35-23.62; p = 0.02) were associated with increased odds compared to unexposed individuals (AUROC, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.60-0.76). The proportion of participants with hairline recession consistent with TA increased from 27.7% in the lowest-risk group to 58.5% in the highest-risk group (p < 0.001). TA risk scales non-linearly, driven heavily by prolonged installations and frequent heat exposure. Integrating these distinct exposures into a unified, model-predicted risk stratification framework could provide a well-calibrated backend architecture for consumer-facing digital health tools in Africa.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "College of Health Sciences University of Ghana Medical School, University of Ghana Accra Ghana.",
    "Cosmopolitan Dermatology Shaker Heights Ohio USA.",
    "Research Department Association of Future African Neurosurgeons Yaounde Cameroon."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 8,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Gloria Apegwine Ayugane",
      "orcid": "0009-0004-6981-4480"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jeduthun Osei-Sekyereh",
      "orcid": "0009-0005-7810-1850"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Christabel Afi Tonugble"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Akua Yiadomah Asare"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Ellwin Kwabena-Adade"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Princess Y Benson",
      "orcid": "0009-0006-3864-2959"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Angela Kyei"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Ulrick Sidney Kanmounye",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-6791-1018"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ev5vqgf58q77n.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1002/hsr2.73442",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13715065",
  "id": "ev5vqgf58q77n",
  "issns": [
    "2398-8835"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42953661",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Original Research"
    ],
    [
      "lcc",
      "R"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2748|Hair Growth and Disorders"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7224086224",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13715065?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13715065",
  "pmid": "42953661",
  "published": "2026-10-28",
  "publisher": "Wiley",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ev5vqgf58q77n.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T00:20:40Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42953661",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42953661"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T14:22:11Z",
      "native_id": "12e5a44e118c41e9b951e8e8b2238ddc",
      "source": "doaj",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.73442"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-01T12:22:26Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13715065",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.73442"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2748|Hair Growth and Disorders",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Epidemiology, Behavioral Determinants, Symptom Burden, and Severity of Traction Alopecia Among Ghanaian Women: A Cross-Sectional Study.",
  "title_text": "Epidemiology, Behavioral Determinants, Symptom Burden, and Severity of Traction Alopecia Among Ghanaian Women: A Cross-Sectional Study.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-01T12:22:26Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ev5vqgf58q77n",
  "venue": "Health science reports",
  "versions": []
}