Evaluation of Epidemiology, Perceived impact, and overall burden of Acne among Adolescents and its Economic, behavioral, and healthcare utilization implications.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63516/amss/02.04/005Keywords:
Adolescents, Epidemiology, Prevalence, Quality of life, Economic burden, Healthcare Utilization, Self-medication, Acne VulgarisAbstract
Acne vulgaris is a massively widespread chronic skin disorder that has a
tremendous influence on the quality of life and psychosocial functioning among adolescents worldwide. Extensive epidemiological information on Pakistani regions is unavailable. This paper established prevalence, degree and perception of acne among Sindh and Hyderabad adolescents besides examining their knowledge and attitude aspects, economic impact, and patterns of healthcare use. The study was a cross-sectional descriptive study that recruited 507 participants who were adolescents (13-19 years of age) and were studying in educational institutions in Hyderabad, Sindh (March-November 2024). The high level of acnes (75.3) was recorded with females showing significantly high levels
compared to males (78.8% vs 70.5, p=0.032). Mild acne was the most prevalent (41.6%), then the moderate one (28.4%). There was significant correlation between family history (p<0.001), stress levels (p=0.006), and face washing frequency (p=0.019) and acne occurrence. Acne is shown to exhibit high prevalence in Hyderabad, Sindh adolescents, and it significantly affects the quality of life with the deficit in knowledge persistence.
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