Prevalence of Acne and Its Association With Increased Body Mass Index Among Adolescent Schoolchildren in Northern Sudan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background and Aims: Acne is a major health problem among adolescents. There is little published epidemiological data on the association between acne and body mass index (BMI) among adolescents, and no study has been conducted in Sudan. We aimed to assess the prevalence of acne and the possible associated factors (including body mass index [BMI]) among adolescent schoolchildren in the River Nile in Sudan. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among adolescents (males and females) during the 3-month period (July–September 2022). A questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic information, and their BMIs were computed from their weights and heights, which were measured using a standard procedure. Multivariate binary regression analysis was conducted. Results: Of the 384 enrolled adolescents, 177 (46.1%) were males and 297 (53.9%) were females. The median (interquartile) of the age and BMI were 15.1 (14.0–16.3) years and 18.4 (16.4–21.5) kg/m2, respectively. One hundred and forty adolescents (36.5%) had acne, which was mild in 109 (28.4%), moderate in 28 (7.3%), and severe in three (0.8%) adolescents. After adjusting, age (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.21, 95% confidence interval, CI = 1.04–1.41) and BMI (AOR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.01‒1.14) were positively associated with acne. Females were at a higher risk of having acne (AOR = 2.59, 95% CI = 1.64‒4.08). Conclusion: Our results showed a high prevalence of acne among Sudanese adolescents, especially females, and its prevalence increased with age and BMI.