The Global Burden of Adolescent Acne: Trends from 1990 to 2021 and Future Projections to 2050

Adolescent acne poses unique therapeutic challenges and imposes a substantial burden. However, the study of its global impact has been limited and neglected.

The objective of the study was to analyze the global disease burden and epidemiologic trend of adolescent acne.

Data were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 database. All the analysis procedures and graphic representation were undertaken by R statistical software and GraphPad Prism 9.

The global burden of adolescent acne increased significantly from 1990 to 2021, with consistently higher rates observed in females compared to males. Meanwhile, both the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR), age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR), and age-standardized YLD rate (ASDR) continued to rise significantly, with an average annual percentage change (AAPC) of 0.7%, 0.6%, and 0.6%, respectively. Population analysis revealed a unimodal age distribution, characterized by a high burden among adolescents with the age of 11-14 years. In both, national and regional, the distribution of the disease burden was highly uneven. The global burden can be mostly attributed to epidemiological changes (58.7%) and aging (40.0%). Significant regional disparities grouped by the socio-demographic index were observed. Projections indicate that by 2050, the incidence, ASIR, prevalence, ASPR, disability-adjusted life years, and ASDR of adolescent acne will rise to 122 million, 4,265 per 100,000, 201 million, 7,015 per 100,000, and 4.326 million, 151.2 per 100,000, respectively.

The study demonstrates a significant and growing global burden of adolescent acne from 1990 to 2021, underscoring the urgent need for targeted prevention and management strategies worldwide.