Background: Acne vulgaris is the most common dermatological condition encountered in adolescents.
Aim: It was to determine the prevalence of acne vulgaris and its impact of the quality of life among adolescents attending secondary schools in Sohag Province, Upper Egypt.
Patients and methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in randomly selected governmental and technical secondary schools in Sohag Province, Upper Egypt. Approval was taken from the scientific research committee of Sohag Faculty of Medicine and also from Ministry of Education. Every student with acne was subjected to full medical history and local examination of head and neck to assess the severity of acne vulgaris. Assessment of the impact of acne vulgaris on their quality of life was carried out using self-reported validated specific questionnaire, the Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI).
Results: This study included 994 teenage secondary school students. The overall prevalence of acne vulgaris was 333 (33.5%). The mean age of the students with acne was 16.84±0.87. Acne vulgaris was more common among females than among males (200, 60% vs 133, 40%). The most common form of acne vulgaris was mild 178, 53%, followed by moderate form 135, 41%, and severe form 20, 6%. CADI score was significantly related to the disease grade and it was maximum among those with severe grade, followed by moderate and lastly mild disease grade. Conclusion: Acne vulgaris is a common skin disease and has a valuable impact on quality of life among adolescents attending secondary schools in Sohag Province, Upper Egypt.