Could acne be a risk factor for developing eating disorders? Acne vulgaris and eating disorders

Introduction Skin findings such as acne, hypertrichosis, and hyperpigmentation may be a clue for the diagnosis of eating disorders. There are studies on skin findings in eating disorders, but there is no study evaluating eating disorders in acne patients. We aimed to investigate eating disorders in acne patients and evaluate the effect of acne severity, quality of life, and body mass index (BMI) on eating disorders. Methods Two hundred thirty-two acne patients and 314 healthy controls were enrolled. Acne severity was detected according to Grading Acne Severity Scale (GAGS) by the dermatologists. Eating Attitude Test-40 (EAT) and Acne Quality of Life Scale (AQLS) were filled out by patients. The controls filled out EAT. Individuals scoring EAT >= 30 points were considered at risk for eating disorders. Results The median EAT score (15 vs. 13) and the number of patients scoring EAT >= 30 (14.2% vs. 2.2%) were found to be significantly higher in the patients' group compared with control group (p: 0.005, p < 0.001). There was a significant positive correlation between EAT score and AQLS score but no significant relationship between acne severity and EAT score. A significant positive correlation was found between EAT scores and BMI. Conclusion Eating disorders and acne are mostly seen in adolescence, and both have high biopsychosocial morbidity. Also eating disorders can even be mortal sometimes. There are common psychopathological mechanisms in eating disorders and acne.

Dergi

JOURNAL OF COSMETIC DERMATOLOGY

Yıl

2022

Cilt

21

Sayı

5

Sayfa

2176-2182

ISSN

1473-2130

eISSN

1473-2165

DOI

10.1111/jocd.14330

WoS UID

WOS:000672043600001