Assessment of Quality of Life in Patients with Acne Vulgaris and Its Consequent Disabilities in Qom, 2018

Background & Aims of the Study: Acne is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by comatose lesions and cysts that can be accompanied by scarring in some cases. The physical and psychological effects of acne include deformities, scarring, depression, impaired social relationships, and discontentment. Moreover, the affected people experience social isolation, and they engage in social activities less frequently due to embarrassment and fear of being excluded from the community. Some studies reported that the prevalence of acne is 10 times higher in males, as compared to females. With this background in mind, the current study aimed to assess quality of life in patients with acne vulgaris and its consequent disabilities in Qom, 2016. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional (descriptive-analytical) study and the statistical population included acne patients who were referred to dermatological clinics in Qom. Therefore, 147 patients were selected by convenience sampling. Data collection tools were the Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI) and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaires.  CADI is a questionnaire which is specific for acne consisting of five questions about feelings, interference with social life, and interaction with the opposite gender, avoidance of public places, the appearance of the skin, and perceived severity of the disease over the last month. DLQI consists of 10 items covering symptoms and feelings (items 1 and 2), daily activities (items 3 and 4), leisure (items 5 and 6), work and school (item 7), personal relationships (items 8 and 9) and treatment (item 10). Data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 21) using descriptive statistics and independent t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficient. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: 83% of the cases were female and 35.4% of them had a family history of acne. 26.5% of patients had less than a high school diploma degree and the average score of quality of life in acne patients was 7.32 and the mean score of acne-related disability index was reported as 5.86. The results of the statistical tests demonstrated no significant difference in the mean score of quality of life and acne-related disability in terms of gender and family history of acne (P<0.05). Moreover, the results of the ANOVA test indicated no difference in mean scores of quality of life and acne-related disability index in terms of education (P<0.05). In addition, the Pearson correlation coefficient result revealed that the relationship of age and duration of illness with the mean score of quality of life and disability index was not significant (P<0.05). Nonetheless, this test demonstrated a direct and significant relationship between the mean score of quality of life and acne-related disability (P<0.05; r = 0.73 Conclusion: As evidenced by the obtained results, there was a significant relationship between quality of life and acne-related disability (P<0.05). Acne can affect different aspects of patients' lives in a myriad of ways. Accordingly, their social, educational, and recreational activities, as well as their mental and psychological health are adversely affected by this disease