Epidemiology of Acne vulgaris and its Link to Lifestyle among Adolescents and Young Adults

Background:-This study was undertaken to investigate the epidemiology of acne vulgaris and its possible link with lifestyle among adolescents and young individuals from the central region of Saudi Arabia. Methods:-The data were collected from 388 acne patients using an administration questionnaire. The data were analyzed in terms of frequencies, percentages, and Chi-squared tests. Questionnaire reliability (Cronbach’s alpha) was checked on 30 randomly selected patients. Results:-Age of onset for acne in the majority of the participants (32.2%) was in between 16-17 years. Most of the study participants did not follow the keto, low carbohydrates, or any other special diet system (89.4%, 83.8%, and 80.4% of the study participants). Participants reported following other specific diet systems (other than keto or low-carb diet); noticed that their acne became better. 22% reported that they were suffering from polycystic ovarian disease and 3.1% suffered from some other endocrine disease. 5.9% of participants responded that they were suffering from a mental illness with the majority (13%) having depression. Conclusion:-Nutritional habits have an effect on acne. Bread, sweetened beverages, coffee, rice, and salty foods were the most reported foods by acne patients. Moreover, acne is associated with psychological conditions such as depression.