Evaluation of knowledge about acne vulgaris among a selected population of adolescents of Tricity schools

Konrad Tałasiewicz, Agnieszka Ołdakowska, Aneta Szczerkowska-Dobosz
2012 Advances in Dermatology and Allergology  
A Ad dd dr re es ss s f fo or r c co or rr re es sp po on nd de en nc ce e: : Konrad Tałasiewicz MD, Students' A b s t r a c t I In nt tr ro od du uc ct ti io on n: : It is estimated that approximately 80% of adolescents have different forms of acne vulgaris. Due to the high prevalence of the disease and its psycho-emotional impact on the quality of life, it is important to prevent the spread of misconceptions. A Ai im m: : To analyze the basic knowledge and misconceptions concerning acne
more » ... is among adolescents. M Ma at te er ri ia al l a an nd d m me et th ho od ds s: : The study included 900 adolescents aged 15-19 years (mean age: 17.47 years), 401 females, 493 males attending high schools (n = 481) or technical colleges (n = 419). The study was based on a direct anonymous questionnaire that consisted of fourteen multiple choice questions. R Re es su ul lt ts s: : On average, 50.3% of questions were answered correctly. 57.8% of participants stated that they had suffered from acne. As regards the causes, more than half (59.5%) of participants stated that acne is connected to eating and hygiene habits. 40.5% of students considered acne infectious. The study revealed that many "false beliefs" exist. 26.4% of adolescents believe that starting sexual activity can influence healing. Considering the effectiveness of curing acne in adolescence, 24.2% of participants do not see a point in early treatment. Regarding the sources of knowledge about acne, most adolescents use the internet, teenage newspapers and friends' opinions. Only 41.2% want to learn more, and almost 90% consider their knowledge sufficient. C Co on nc cl lu us si io on ns s: : The results from a large population-based study indicate that the knowledge about acne is insufficient, which reveals the need for introducing educational programs in schools. K Ke ey y w wo or rd ds s: : acne vulgaris, knowledge, treatment.
doi:10.5114/pdia.2012.32388 fatcat:vq3p3ccprrf7li35wsavtdj25q