ABSTRACT
Background: acne vulgaris is the most common skin disease treated by dermatologists. Misconceptions about acne, regarding its causes, treatment options and their possible outcome are widespread
Objectives: the objective ofthis study was; to evaluate the knowledge and perception of acne patients regarding their understanding of acne pathogenesis, treatment options, and expectations
Patients and methods: this descriptive study was conducted in dermatology clinic, outpatient department of Sheikh Zayed Medical College /Hospital, from 1st January to 15th april,2010 and a total of 105 consecutive study subjects, who were diagnosed with acne were included. An informed verbal consent was ensured from every study subject
Results: the mean age of the patients was 18.8 +/- 2.7 years. Majority of the patients [87%] were females and unmarried [83 %]. 74% had education level matric and above. 48.6% belonged to urban areas, 30.4% to rural areas and 21% to urban slums. 67% of the patients of acne in our study reported that they felt frequently worried about their acne. 55 % of the study subjects had duration of acne less than three months, 41 % had duration between 3 to 12 months and 4% had duration more than one year. When asked about causes of acne, 35% related it with poor skin hygienic conditions, 19% to dietary factors, 13% to blocked skin pores, 10.5 % to inheritance factors, 7.6% to stress, 6.7% related to infection by germs. Regarding dietary aggravating factors; 38 % linked to oily food items, 14 % with tea, 13.3% with milk products. 17 % perceived that acne is not a curable disease. 41 % of the patients had no opinion about mode oftreatment. 67% ofthe patients expected the duration ofacne treatment may beup to 3 months
Conclusion: there is a need for accessible, accurate, community-based education on the natural history of acne, its pathogenesis, risk of sequelae, the effectiveness and expected duration of treatment, and the importance of prompt medical attention