A study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (December 2016) sought to explore the role of personal and environmental factors in the development of adult female acne.
Researchers Anna Di Landro, MD, et al, conducted a multicenter case-control study, which included 518 women treated in outpatient dermatology departments of 12 Italian cities. They investigated 248 consecutive women ≥25 years of age with newly diagnosed acne of any grade. Women diagnosed with conditions other than acne (n = 270) acted as controls.
In multivariate analysis, the following were all associated with acne:
- History of acne in parents (odds ratio [OR] = 3.02) or siblings (OR = 2.40)
- History of acne during adolescence (OR = 5.44)
- Having no previous pregnancies (OR = 1.71)
- Hirsutism (OR = 3.50)
- Being an office worker versus being unemployed or being a housewife (OR = 2.24)
- High levels of reported psychological stress (OR = 2.95)
- A low weekly intake of fruits or vegetables (OR = 2.33)
- Low consumption of fresh fish (OR = 2.76)
The researchers noted that because they did not establish an onset date for acne so some of these associations may reflect consequences of established acne. “Lifestyle factors may play an important role for acne development in adulthood, but their role should be further assessed in prospective studies,” they wrote.
Photo copyright Getty Images.
