Puberty, skin of color, weight associated with acne prevalence among adolescents
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Key takeaways:
- Girls aged 13 years saw higher acne prevalence vs. boys due to earlier puberty onset (62% vs. 45%).
- Weight was a predictor for acne in boys, whereas puberty and darker skin color were predictors for both sexes.
Higher acne vulgaris prevalence was associated with puberty status, skin of color and weight gain among adolescents, according to a study.
“Several risk factors have been associated with [acne vulgaris (AV)] severity, such as being overweight and having a more advanced puberty stage,” Willemijn C. A. M. Witkam, MD, of Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands, and colleagues wrote. “However, sex, socio-economic status and skin color have been inconsistently associated with AV severity.”
To evaluate the associations between demographics and AV prevalence, the authors conducted a cross-sectional study from a population-based prospective study that took place in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Of 4,561 children aged approximately 13 years (51% girls; mean age, 13.5 years), the visible acne vulgaris prevalence was 62% among girls and 45% among boys (P < .01). Moderate to severe AV was prevalent among 14% of girls and 9% of boys.
“Girls had more severe [acne vulgaris] than boys mainly due to an earlier onset of puberty,” the authors explained.
Among girls, the highest predictors for AV were higher puberty stages (adjusted OR = 1.38; 95% CI, 1.2-1.59) and darker skin colors, specifically Fitzpatrick types V through VI (aOR = 1.9; 95% CI, 1.17-3.08).
Among boys, higher puberty stages (aOR = 2.16; 95% CI, 1.86-2.51) and darker skin colors (aOR = 2.43; 95% CI, 1.67-3.56) were also predictors of AV as well as having overweight (aOR = 1.58; 95% CI, 1.15-2.17).
“One of the most interesting findings of this study is the higher risk of more severe AV in adolescents with darker skin color,” the authors wrote. “Future studies are needed to better understand the biology between AV in darker compared to lighter skin color.”