THE BURDEN OF ACNE ON MEDICAL STUDENTS: PREVALENCE, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND SELF-TREATMENT PRACTICES

BACKGROUND : Acne is one of the most common skin conditions, affecting individuals across various age groups, but it is particularly prevalent among young adults, including medical students. The psychological burden of acne can lead to decreased self-esteem, increased anxiety, and social withdrawal, which may further complicate the demanding academic environment faced by medical students. OBJECTIVE : This research aims to explore the prevalence of acne among this demographic, assess its effects on their quality of life (QoL), and investigate common self-treatment practices employed by students to manage their condition. METHODOLOGY : This cross-sectional study involved 258 medical students from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), employing a simple random sampling technique for data collection. A 37-question questionnaire was administered, and quality of life was assessed using the Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI), with data analyzed using SPSS. RESULTS : The prevalence of acne among medical students was 69.2%, with significant associations found for gender, BMI, smoking, mental status, and skin type (p<0.05). The mean CADI score of 5.44±4.06 indicates a mild impairment in QoL due to acne. Additionally, fast food and processed food were linked to higher acne incidence, and 62.2% of students reported self-medicating, primarily due to perceptions of mild illness (32%), pharmacological knowledge (17%), lack of time (18%), and familiarity with previous treatments (16%). CONCLUSION : Acne is prevalent among medical students, linked to factors like gender, BMI, smoking, mental status, and diet. Many students self-medicate, citing mildness of the condition, pharmacological knowledge, lack of time, and previous prescriptions as reasons. KEYWORDS : Acne, Prevalence, Quality of life, medical students, self-medica