Background: Acne vulgaris in young adults has a considerable effect on psychological and physiological health, with both short- and long-term adverse effects. It may lead to severe conditions like depression, and it is one of the most common skin conditions among adolescents. Limited studies were involved in discovering the knowledge and experiences of acne patients toward acne. This study aimed to measure the proportion and associated risk factors of acne vulgaris.
Methods: The study design was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The data were obtained from around 600 adolescents using an online questionnaire.
Results: The data showed that the acne vulgaris was about 53% of the participants. Acne vulgaris varied with the age. About 62% of the participants were younger than 19 years (p = 0.0003). It was flared by chocolate and fatty food in about 66% and 64% of the participants regarding diet. Acne vulgaris was about 65% in the underweight participants and 56% in the overweight (p = 0.01689). About 86% of the participants chose laser therapy based on medical advice, and about 81% reported improvement. There was no statistically significant variation in acne vulgaris associated with gender, geographic distribution, educational level, and family history.
Conclusion: In conclusion, young age, unhealthy body weight, and diet affected acne vulgaris, while education, gender, family history, and geographic distribution were not as associated with acne vulgaris. The study recommended increasing the awareness for adolescents to maintain healthy body weight, and the avoidance of poor dietary habits can minimize the occurrences and the flaring of acne.
Key words: Acne vulgaris, Saudi Arabia, risk factors, prevalence, adolescents
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