Self-esteem and body satisfaction among late adolescents with acne: results from a population survey.
BACKGROUND
The association of acne and self-evaluation is barely explored among late adolescents in the general population.


OBJECTIVE
We sought to explore self-esteem, body satisfaction, and acne among 18-year-old young adults at a community level.


METHODS
We conducted a questionnaire-based survey among 3775 late adolescents.


RESULTS
Our response rate was 80%. The prevalence of acne was 13.5%. Girls and boys with acne had significantly more depressive symptoms, lower self-attitude, more feelings of uselessness, fewer feelings of pride, lower self-worth, and lower body satisfaction than those without acne. In a regression model adjusting for body mass index and depressive symptoms, acne explained significantly poor self-attitude for boys only (odds ratio 2.07 [confidence interval 1.10; 3.88]) and poor self-worth for girls only (odds ratio 1.88 [confidence interval 1.23; 2.88]).


CONCLUSIONS
Not all items of the self-esteem instrument were included.


CONCLUSIONS
At age 18 years, acne is related to self-evaluation independent of body mass index and depressive symptoms.
Dalgard
Florence
F
Institute of General Practice and Community Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. fdalgard@jbcc.harvard.edu
Gieler
Uwe
U
Holm
Jan Øivind
JØ
Bjertness
Espen
E
Hauser
Stuart
S
D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000523:psychology*; D000293:Adolescent; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012649:Self Concept; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult