Deodorant use and related adverse effects: a cross-sectional survey among Palestinian students

Abstract

Background: Deodorants are widely used to mask unpleasant body odors. They are reported to cause some adverse effectsdepending on the form and ingredients. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of deodorant use and relatedadverse effects among Palestinian students. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out at An-Najah National University from Aug 2018 to Mar 2020. A questionnairewas constructed using a Google survey form. All analyses were done using SPSS 21.0, Fisher test was used for comparativeanalysis and the P-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: A total of 554 students participated in the study. About 93% of the participants were using deodorants and adverseeffects were reported by 25% of the participants. The reported adverse effects were itching (26%), coloration (25%), sneezing(21%), and eye redness (8%). Only 4.1% of the participants visited a physician for counselling regarding various adverse effects. Conclusion: Deodorants were widely used by Palestinian students with reported adverse effects, but these side effects rarelyprompted the participants to seek medical advice. Keywords: Deodorants; antiperspirants; adverse effects; skin; students; physician consultation.