Prevalence, level of knowledge and lifestyle association with acne vulgaris among medical students

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence, knowledge and lifestyle association with acne among medical students at King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: This quantitative, observational and cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students in March 2015 by using self-administered questionnaire survey. Statistical analysis was performed using p-value. Results: A total of three hundred and seventy-five medical students were recruited, and more than half of them had acne vulgaris (n: 208; 55.5%) with less than one third of them being diagnosed by a physician. Most of the female students (n: 75; 61%) dealt with acne as a significant medical condition when compared with only third (n: 87; 34%) of the male students (P < 0.05). Eighty-nine female students (72%) believed more than male students (n: 104; 41%) that stressful environment played a significant role in acne vulgaris (p > 0.05). One hundred and twelve male students (44.8%) believed more than females (n: 39; 31%) that acne affects their marriage prospectus p < 0.05. Conclusion: Interestingly, more than half of our sample population was affected by acne vulgaris with two thirds of them not seeking for medical advice. Knowledge misconceptions were widespread among medical students, which necessitate further education in this regards.