Perceived relationships between food and acne among a cohort of New York City young adults (635.4)

Abstract

Anecdotally, many people with acne believe certain foods impact skin health. The objectives of this study were to investigate the perceived relationship between food and acne among young adults in New York City. Participants (n=279, 139 male, 140 female) completed a questionnaire evaluating self‐reported acne severity, food beliefs, and anthropometric and demographic characteristics. One hundred twenty‐six participants (45.2%) reported no acne, 92 (33%) reported mild acne, and 61 (21.8%) reported moderate to severe acne. Among all participants, 59.1% perceived food to influence acne. Chocolate (26.5%), French fries (25.4%) and pizza (24.4%) were the most commonly reported foods believed to aggravate acne. A greater percentage of participants in the acne groups (mild and moderate to severe) reported diet to influence acne severity compared to participants with no acne (p=<0.001). Future research should examine the impact of foods on acne development and severity.