Lifestyle factors associated with adult acne in women

Italian researchers have discovered that personal and environmental lifestyle factors such as family history and stress levels are associated with adult acne in women.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, measured factors associated with acne in 248 women aged 25 years and older with newly diagnosed acne of any grade – 50.2% had moderate acne, 42% mild acne and 7.8% severe acne. They also monitored 270 female controls who were a mean age of 36.4 years old with conditions other than acne.

The analysis found a significant association between adult female acne and a history of the condition in that person’s parents or siblings, as well as the case study having suffered with acne during adolescence.

Other factors associated included having hirsutism, a high level of reported psychological stress, a low intake of fruit, vegetables and fish, and working in an office (compared with being unemployed or a housewife).

“We did not establish an onset date for acne, and our associations may not reflect a causative role but may, at least in part, reflect shared risk factors or consequences of established acne,” one researcher wrote. “Lifestyle factors may play an important role for acne development in adulthood, but their role should be further assessed in prospective studies.”

The study, Adult Female Acne and Associated Risk Factors: Results of a Multicenter Case-Control Study in Italy, can be read here.