Evaluating the Association Between Acne Vulgaris and Diet: An Exploratory Study on Patient Beliefs and Perceptions

Although there is content diversity, there are several data about the impact of diet on acne. However, studies about patients' beliefs about the effects of diet on acne are limited. So, in this study, we aimed to assess the perceptions and beliefs of patients about the association between acne and diet.

It was a cross-sectional study that was conducted on patients with a diagnosis of acne vulgaris in the dermatology clinic of Shohada Tajrish and Loghman Hakim Hospital (Tehran, Iran) from December 2022 to December 2023. A questionnaire was given to each patient, and basic data and beliefs of patients about the association between acne and diet were asked. All questionnaires were recorded in SPSS v.26 software and analyzed. A significant level was considered less than 0.05.

In this study, 793 patients participated in the study. 328 patients (41.36%) were 12-19 years old, and 482 of all patients (60.78%) were male. Most of the patients believed that sweets and chocolates and fatty and fried foods had negative impacts on acne and that fruits and vegetables, vitamins, and supplements (zinc, omega-3, selenium, and green tea) improved the disease condition. Acne severity and skin type had significant relationships with the beliefs of patients about the effects of diet on acne (p-values < 0.05).

Although a considerable number of patients with acne believe that diet impacts acne, the patients should be educated about dietary habits that improve or aggravate the disease.