Acne vulgaris knowledge among Al-Maarefa University medical students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: The most prevalent skin condition, acne vulgaris (AV), affects 9.4% of the world's population, with teens having the highest frequency. Cultural, ethnic, and social factors appear to significantly impact patients' perceptions of their acne and how their awareness influences these perceptions. This study aimed at evaluating the attitudes and knowledge of medical students regarding AV at Almaarefa University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted, and the targeting group of male and female students attending Almaarefa University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in December 2021. We evaluated their thoughts and beliefs regarding AV using the paper questionnaire to assess their understanding of the condition. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences was used to examine the data. Results: A questionnaire about knowledge of AV was administered to 300 students in total. According to the findings, female respondents made up 60% of the sample, while male respondents made up 40%. According to the results, only 4% of the sample is knowledgeable about AV. The knowledge of AV was only adequately understood by 5.6% of female medical students, and the rest, 94.4%, had insufficient knowledge of the subject. Conclusion: Our findings revealed that, despite the excepted high level of education and awareness among medical students, less than 5% of people had enough knowledge of AV, despite this not being a typical thought from them. Based on our findings, we recommend educating toddlers and their parents about AV.