EPIDEMIOLOGY OF ACNE VULGARIS IN ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG FEMALES IN RIYADH CITY, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA.

Background:Acne vulgaris remains one of the most common diseases to afflict humanity,with over 90% of males and 80% of females affected by the age of 21 years. The condition usually starts in adolescence, peaks at the ages of 14 to 19 years and frequently resolves by mid-twenties. Acne vulgaris develops earlier in females than in males, which may reflect the earlier onset of puberty in females. The most severe forms of acne vulgaris occur more frequently in males, but the disease tends to be more persistent in females.Objectives:This work was conducted to estimate the prevalence of acne vulgaris, to show the characteristics of cases, to determine the aggravating factors and the psychological impact of acne vulgaris in a sample of adolescent and young females of Riyadh city, KSA. Participants and methods: It is a cross-sectional study.A total of 403 adolescent and young females during the 2nd half of 2016were included in the study. Data was collected via filling-in an online questionnaire. Results: the overall prevalence of acne vulgaris was 68.2%. Mean age of acne cases (± SD) was 21.21((± 4.6) and the mean age of onset of acne (± SD) was 15.5 (± 2.9). Positive family history of acne vulgaris was found in 42.5% of cases. The skin was greasy in 72.7% of cases. Acne site was the face in 46.2%, the back in 3.6% and multiple sites in 50.2% of the cases. More than half (57.5%) of cases had first degree acne. Students mentioned several factors affecting the appearance of acne; 56% reported increased acne appearance before menstruation, 10.5% during pregnancy, 70.5% defective skin cleaning, 77.1% stress, 33.8 eating of chocolate, 31.3% fatty meals, 4.0% with spicy food, 2.9% with excess carbonated beverages drinks, 61.5% reported increased acne appearance in summer months. 57.8% of cases reported impact of acne on social relations and 54.2% had an impact on self confidence. Conclusion and recommendations: Acne was highly prevalent among adolescents and young females in Riyadh city, KSA. Several risk factors increased the appearance of acne including skin cleanliness,certain diets, stress and menstruation. There was clear seasonal variation; mainly in Summer. Therefore, a community-based multiple strategies are required to combat with increasing rate of acne vulgaris and its subsequent complications among adolescent and adult females in Riyadh city and to educate them about its causes and the risk factors aggravatingits development.