ABSTRACT
Background Acne vulgaris is a widespread chronic inflammatory dermatological disease with a worldwide prevalence of 9.4%, affecting a large percentage of the young population in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to measure the knowledge, attitude, and practice toward the use of isotretinoin among the Saudi population. Methodology This cross-sectional study was conducted among the general population in Saudi Arabia between April 2023 and July 2023. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed across five regions of Saudi Arabia (central, eastern, western, southern, and northern) using Google Survey. The questionnaire included sociodemographic data, the pattern of isotretinoin used, and a 24-item questionnaire to assess the knowledge about isotretinoin. Results Of the 3,001 participants, 77.1% were females, and 55.4% were aged between 16 and 25 years. The prevalence of participants who previously used isotretinoin was 30.6%. The total mean knowledge score was 10.4 (SD = 5.99) out of 24 points, with more than half (52.9%) considered to have poor knowledge, 39.1% moderate knowledge, and only 7.9% good knowledge. Younger participants, female gender, Saudi nationality, never been married, and previous use of isotretinoin were associated with increased knowledge. Conclusions The knowledge of the general population regarding isotretinoin use was lacking. However, younger Saudi females who had previous isotretinoin usage tended to be more knowledgeable about isotretinoin compared to the rest of the participants. Increasing the general public's knowledge regarding isotretinoin and its safe use is necessary.
