Faridur Rehman, Nadeem Ahmad Khan Niazi.
Beliefs and perceptions about acne among undergraduate medical students.
J Pak Assoc Derma Jan ;17(4):231-4.

Background: Acne is a common disease affecting adolescents. It was hypothesized that misconceptions prevail among undergraduate medical students about acne. Objective: To determine the extent of misconceptions about acne in our undergraduate medical students. Patients and methods: The students of Foundation University Medical College of first four year classes, whether suffering from acne or not, were included in the study. These students completed a specially designed questionnaire. Results: A total of 343 students participated in the study. The age range was from 17-21 years. The male to female ratio was 1:1.75. With respect to the causative factors 87% claimed poor hygiene, 82% identified stress, 79% incriminated diet (chocolates and cola drinks). As far as general measures for acne were concerned, 75% believed that very frequent washing of face would result in fewer breakouts, 70% took acne as a contagious disease and 12% believed that squeezing the pimples would help them go away faster. As regards treatment for acne, 53% believed that Betnovate® or a mixture of creams with Betnovate® is a treatment option, 30% suggested that one should let acne run its course without treatment and 18 % believed that there is no treatment for acne scars. Conclusion: Misconceptions about acne are widespread and enduring among our undergraduate medical students. A health education program is needed to improve their understanding of the condition.

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