Beliefs and perceptions of acne among a sample of students from Sindh Medical College, Karachi.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the beliefs of undergraduate medical students regarding acne. METHOD: A cross-sectional study in 630 medical students (aged 16-29 years) was conducted. A voluntary self administered questionnaire was used to collect data regarding their beliefs and perceptions about acne. Both acne and non-acne sufferers were included in the study. RESULT: Of the 630 respondents, 55.9% were sufferers while 44.1% were non-sufferers. Of all, 67.0% of the affected believed it to be relieved by frequent face washing and that they should seek treatment, whereas 79.84% students believed in seeking dermatologist's advice regarding treatment. Mass media was the most common source of information. As to the cause, 21.7% students believed that hereditary factors and 20.1% thought environmental factors are the major cause of acne. In diet, soft drinks (29.2%) were considered the major exacerbating factor. The most significant emotional impact of acne on medical students was embarrassment (26.2%). CONCLUSION: The results of this study pointed out that misconceptions and false beliefs on acne are widespread and enduring among Medical students' too. Health education programme on acne is needed to improve their understanding of the condition.