Awareness, beliefs, and self-medication practice of acne vulgaris among medical and pharmacy students in Yemen: A cross-sectional study

Background: Acne is a prevalent global skin condition, impacting around 9.4% of the population. This chronic inflammatory disease is commonly observed in the adolescent age group. The practice of self-medication for acne is widespread among medical and pharmacy students. This study aimed to evaluate self-medication practices and explore medical and pharmacy students’ awareness, beliefs, and attitudes towards acne vulgaris. Methods: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted among medical and pharmacy students in four colleges in the capital city of Yemen. All students attending the selected colleges during the study period (June and July 2023) were eligible to participate. Results: The findings revealed that 58.7% of students had acne. The overall rate of correct answers to the knowledge statements was 58.9%. The majority of students reported negative effects, including psychological and social impact. However, only a small proportion (23.9%) believed that acne negatively affected job performance. Slightly more than half of the students (54.5%) expressed willingness to use over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. Regarding effective practices, most students (61.4%) believed that maintaining a proper diet was crucial. Conclusion: The study reveals the widespread use of self-medication for acne and highlights the need to raise awareness about the effective management and control of acne.