Acne and its Relationship with Body Mass Index (Bmi)

Abstract

Background: Acne vulgaris is a much-known skin ailment that impacts a large percentage of young people, ranging from 79% to 95%. Acne is frequently regarded as a sign of maturation, and it is a primary source of doctor visits, which can result in increased costs. Obesity is a major problem in the Western lifestyle. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported in 2008 that 35% of adults (20 years or older) globally were overweight. Objective: The main purpose of this research is to study the link between body mass index and the severity or the occurrence of acne. Study design: A cross-sectional study Place and Duration: This study was conducted in Primary Health Care Corporation Doha from June 2021 to June 2022 Methodology: A total of 300 people were part of this research. The sampling method used was sequential, with all newly diagnosed acne cases being included. All patients gave their informed consent. Demographic information was gathered, including whether first-degree relatives had a positive or negative family history of acne and height, and weight were measured. By dividing weight by height, the body mass index of each participant was calculated. The weight was measured in kilograms and the height was measured in meters squared. This classification was based on the criteria provided by the World Health Organization Asian Pacific Guideline 2000. All of the participants were divided into 4 categories based on their BMI. Results: The percentage of females was slightly higher than males with a male-to-female ratio of 1:1.4. The age groups of the participants ranged from the age of 10 years to 44 years. The average age of the patients was 20.88 years. The majority of the participants (n=156) had grade 2 acne, representing 52% of the sample size. Only 5% of patients were having grade 4 acne while 23% of patients were having grade 1 acne and 20% of patients were having grade 3 acne. Conclusion: There was no significant link seen between body mass index and acne severity.