Acne across Europe: an online survey on perceptions and management of acne

• Published in: Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Vol. 32; no. 3; pp. 463 - 466
• Main Authors: Szepietowski, J.C., Wolkenstein, P., Veraldi, S., Tennstedt, D., Machovcová, A., Delarue, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.03.2018
• Subjects: acne vulgaris; patient-reported outcomes; diagnosis; disease burden; general population
• ISSN: 0926-9959; 1468-3083
• DOI: 10.1111/jdv.14719

Background Acne is common among young people. Objective To describe the burden, management and sources of advice of acne in a representative sample of young people in Europe. Methods This cross‐sectional survey was conducted in a representative sample of individuals aged 15–24 years from Belgium, Czech and Slovak Republics, France, Italy, Poland and Spain (n = 3099). Results Most individuals considered their acne (all severity stages) to be no/minor problem, although 29.7% considered it a major problem/burden. Over‐the‐counter (OTC) topical treatments were used more frequently than prescribed treatments. Acne was diagnosed by physicians in 47.6% of cases; other health professionals (nurses, pharmacists) or patients accounted for the remainder of diagnoses. Physicians were the source of acne information in just over one‐quarter of cases (27.0%). The vast majority of advice was from friends/family and the Internet. Conclusion Almost one‐third of young people consider acne to be a major problem/burden. Fewer than half of acne diagnoses are made by a physician, and acne is often self‐managed using OTC treatments.