The Relationship between chocolate consumption and the appearance of acne in female medical students at Wijaya Kusuma University Faculty of Medicine, Surabaya, November 2013 – January 2014

Chocolate has increasingly become a part of modern lifestyle and personal enjoyment. Despite this, misconceptions persist regarding its effects on health, particularly its alleged role in causing acne. Chocolate is often perceived as a processed food that contributes to acne development, a belief that remains widespread. This concern is especially prevalent among young women, who are often highly conscious of their appearance and apprehensive about acne. The present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between chocolate consumption and the onset of acne. This study employed a cross-sectional, analytic observational design to examine the relationship between chocolate consumption and acne incidence. The population consisted of female medical students aged 18 to 20 years from the Faculty of Medicine at Wijaya Kusuma University Surabaya. A total of 44 participants were randomly selected and divided into two groups: one group consumed milk chocolate containing 30% cocoa, while the other group consumed dark chocolate containing 50% cocoa. Both groups were observed over a period of six weeks. The findings indicated a significant association between the type of chocolate consumed and the appearance of acne, with a p-value of 0.026 (p < 0.05), as determined by the Chi-Square test. These results suggest that the presence of acne is not directly caused by chocolate itself, but rather may be attributed to additional ingredients—particularly those with a high glycemic index—commonly found in certain types of chocolate products.