The impact of acne vulgaris on the quality of life in Sarawak,Malaysia

ABSTRACT

Background There is lack of data on the impact of acne vulgaris on the quality of life in Malaysia. Thus, this study was done to determine the impact of acne vulgaris on the quality of life in Sarawak, Malaysia and to examine its relationship with the severity of acne. Methods A cross-sectional study of 173 patients in 3 dermatology clinics in Sarawak utilizing the dermatology life quality index (DLQI). Results The mean DLQI score was 4.1. Patients with family income < RM 3000 had higher mean DLQI scores (4.8 vs. 3.2, p = 0.02). There was also a tendency for indigenous groups to have higher DLQI scores compared to Chinese although it was not statistically significant (4.5 vs. 3.5, p = 0.15). Females were significantly more impaired in the domains of symptoms and feelings (2.1 vs. 1.5, p = 0.02); and work and school (0.3 vs. 0.2, p = 0.04). DLQI was weakly correlated with acne severity in patients with mild acne (Pearson coefficient = 0.27, p = 0.01) but become insignificant for patients with moderate and severe acne. No correlation was seen between DLQI and age of patients. Conclusion Acne vulgaris has a quality of life impact similar to that of psoriasis in Sarawak and must be addressed. Health care providers and administrators should view acne as a psychologically disabling disease requiring optimal management and resource allocation. Education of junior doctors and medical student on this issue is also important.