Epidemiology of Acne Vulgaris and Its Association With Lifestyle Among Adolescents and Young Adults in Hail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Community-Based Study

Abstract

Acne vulgaris is the commonest dermatological problem internationally and nationally. Its incidence is increasing every year in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Though it is not a major health issue but it significantly affects the patient cosmetically, psychologically and socially. Previous studies have shown its association with lifestyle (age, diet, stress, sleep, smoking, exercise, obesity, etc.) and family history. By simple cost-effective lifestyle modification, its occurrence and late consequences could be minimized. Few hospital-based studies are done on this issue in Hail City, KSA. Hence present cross-sectional study was designed where data was collected by Google-Form from 484 residents of Hail City. Results have revealed that 65% of our respondents were suffering from mild to moderate Acne. Thirty percent of the respondents had BMI equal to more than 30. Majority of respondents (81%) had acne on whole face. Similarly, dairy products were also consumed by more than 50%. Majority of respondents (more than 50%) took chocolates, fast foods, oily foods and seafoods. Nuts were taken quite often by 37% of respondents. Age between 21-25 years and oily skin have a highly significant association (p = 0.000) with development of acne. Other variables that show significant association with acne were being obese, stressful, irregular menstrual cycles and excessive intake of nuts. Hence there is a need to address this issue in order to design recommendations for the general public to minimize the incidence and consequences of acne vulgaris by simple lifestyle modifications.

Assessment of skin care behavior and cognition of patients with acne vulgaris in China

“…We categorized skin types of AV patients into five groups including oily (417, 37.27%), combination (497, 44.41%), neutral (115, 10.28%), dry (45, 4.02%), and sensitive (42, 4.02%). Previous studies have shown a highly significant association between skin types and AV; [ 3 ] we also found that there was a significant association between skin type and grade of severity in AV patients ( P = 0.04; Supplementary Table 2). There were 59.16% (662) patients who thought skin care products could improve AV, and 71.85% (804) patients who thought dermocosmetics could improve the clinical manifestation of AV.…”

“…The prevalence of AV among adolescents ranges from approximately 40% to 90%, increasingly affecting adults as well, whereas women are more frequently affected than men. [ 3 ] Of the 1119 participants, there were 798 females (71.31%) and 321 (28.69%) males. The participant age range was 11 to 69 years; the age was 28.32 ± 7.96 years, and the characteristics of AV patients in different age groups are shown in Supplementary Table 1.…”

Evaluation of Bowel Habits in Patients with Acne Vulgaris

“…There are limited number of studies investigating the relationship between acne and physical activity. Alshammrie et al did not find a significant relationship between physical exercise and acne (29). Similarly, in another study conducted in Tehran, it was reported that there was no relationship between physical activity and acne (30).…”

The Effect of Depression on Treatment Adherence Among a Sample of Saudi Patients Diagnosed with Acne Vulgaris

“… 39 In addition, two studies conducted in Jeddah among final year and first-year medical students found that the prevalence of acne vulgaris was high in females with a prevalence of 98% and 58.8%, respectively. 40 , 41 In Alexandria, an Egyptian study showed a higher prevalence among females, confirmed clinically, and their age ranged from 15 to 18 years with a mean age of 16.31 ± 0.725. 42 There are many reasons, connected to hormonal imbalances, that can affect female acne development, such as polycystic ovary syndrome where acne is one of the main symptoms.…”