Acne Vulgaris in Jeddah Medical Students: Prevalence, Severity, Self-Report, and Treatment Practices

Abstract

Acne is a common skin disorder of teenagers and continues into adulthood. Research has been limited regarding acne prevalence, perception and health care utilization in Saudi Arabia. The objective of this study was to assess acne prevalence in final year female medical students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia using the global acne grading system (GAGS) compared with student’s self-report of their acne. This is a cross-sectional study conducted among 151 students during 2016, in which students were interviewed subjectively and examined objectively by a trained physician. This study showed that acne was reported subjectively by 83.4% of female students compared to 98% of students assessed objectively by the global acne grading system. 14.6% of students claimed having no acne while it was objectively present, which was statistically significant (Χ 2 = 15.4, P < 0.001). 41% visited a dermatologist and 28.5% waited 1 year until seeking a dermatologist. However, 35.8% of students got an over-the-counter drug for their acne. Surprisingly, treatment duration expectation was <1 week in 9.9% compared to >2 months in 39.1% of students. Acne was present in 41.1% of the students parents compared to 83.4% in their siblings. A total of 41.7% of student had trunk acne. 60.9% of students had scarring and 72.8% of them had pigmentation. Moderate to severe acne students had higher siblings acne history of 95.2% (Χ 2 = 5.85, P < 0.05), higher scaring of 73.8% (Χ 2 = 4.05, P < 0.05), and higher pigmentation of 85.7% (Χ 2 = 4.87, P < 0.05) which was statistically significant. Our study confirms that acne is very common in female medical students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with a prevalence rate of 98%. Knowledge regarding acne treatment was inadequate demonstrating the need for educational and awareness programs about early treatment that will prevent suffering from acne scarring or pigmentation.