A cross-sectional study of body mass index and sleep quality as risk factors to severity of acne

Objective: To analyse the association of body mass index and sleep quality with severity of acne.

Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Dermatology Department of Mayo Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan, from January to March 2019, and comprised acne patients of either gender aged 12-45 years. Data was collected using a pre-designed questionnaire. Acne grades 1, 2, 3 and 4 were determined by a consultant dermatologist. Pittsburgh sleep quality index was used to assess sleep quality, while body mass index was calculated as per the standard procedure. Data was analyzed using SPSS 22.

Results: Of the 98 patients, 27(27.6%) were male and 71(72.4%) were female. The overall mean age of the sample was 22.3±4.9 years. There were 36(36.7%) patients with acne grade 3, followed by 25(25.5%) each with grades 1 and 2, and 12(12.2%) with grade 4. The relationship between body mass index and acne severity was not significant (p=0.07), and the same was the case with sleep quality (p=0.09).

Conclusions: Body mass index and sleep quality were not found to be associated with acne severity.