Pabitwar Sainath Ramnath
Associate Professor Dept. of Dermatology Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Sawangi (Meghe), Wardha
Ranjit Ambad
Associate Professor Dept. of Biochemistry Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Sawangi (Meghe), Wardha
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Common skin conditions like acne vulgaris can have a negative impact on a patient's quality of life. According to prevalence statistics from a dermatology clinic in a teaching hospital in Varanasi, India, 38.13% of girls and 50.6% of boys in the 12–17 age range had acne. Despite being viewed as just a cosmetic issue, it is linked to significant psychological impairment, making it similar to some chronic illnesses. Patients with acne are more likely to have social dysfunction, low self-esteem, and obsessive compulsive behavior, which can result in anxiety, sadness, and occasionally suicidal thoughts. People with acne have lower functional abilities, and their unemployment rate is higher than that of people without acne. Teens and young adults with acne may also experience difficulties in their personal and professional relationships, sports, and job prospects. The effect that acne has on a patient's quality of life must be considered when managing acne. Therefore, the goal of the current study was to ascertain how acne, and the severity of its symptoms, affected the quality of life of individuals with varying grades of acne across a range of age groups.
AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the quality of life in patients with acne vulgaris.
MATERIAL AND METHOD: The Department of Dermatology carried out this cross-sectional observational study. Patients with acne vulgaris who were seen at the dermatology department's outpatient clinic participated in the current cross-sectional study. The study included 200 participants with a diagnosis of acne vulgaris who were seen in the dermatology outpatient department. The patients in our study ranged in age from 16 to 35. The first step in the study's process was to identify its participants. After this identification, all participants gave their informed consent before any data was collected, and they were reassured of their privacy by being informed of the study's goal. Once all study participants gave their agreement, a thorough medical history was collected.
RESULTS:In all, 200 patients between the ages of 16 and 35 were included in the research. Patients were separated into three groups: patients between the ages of 18 and 25 made up the largest group, comprising 57.5% of those who were mostly college students; next in line were patients between the ages of 16 and 17, who made up 26.0% of the group, and patients between the ages of 26 and 35, who made up 16.5%. Forty percent of the individuals in this study had acne vulgaris for less than a year. Based on clinical criteria, all 200 patients were evaluated and assigned to one of four grades: I, II, III, or IV. Of these, the highest percentage—37.5%—was observed in grade II, followed by 25% in grade III, 20.0% in grade I, and 17.5% in grade IV.
CONCLUSION: The study showed that the general public could easily understand and swiftly complete the CADI and DLQI. In order to highlight patients who need therapeutic intervention as soon as feasible, we advise using these basic QOL measures as part of an integrative clinical strategy when evaluating patients for acne medication. This will give further information on QOL impairment. In order to help with more individualized interventions, dermatologists should be urged to integrate Quality of Life assessments for teenagers with acne, as these may identify unique characteristics and deficits.
KEYWORDS: Quality of life, Acne vulgaris, CADI, DLQI and Clinical Severity