JAMA Dermatol
How prevalent is stigma towards individuals with acne?
In this cross-sectional internet survey study, researchers examined the prevalence and magnitude of stigma toward individuals with acne. They found that stigmatizing attitudes toward patients with acne existed across a variety of social and professional scenarios, with severe acne and acne in darker skin tone being associated with a greater degree of stigma. These findings highlight the need to identify approaches to reduce stigmatizing attitudes in the community and for adequate access to care, which might prevent negative downstream effects related to these stigmatizing attitudes.
- Four stock portraits of adults that varied in sex (male/female) and skin tone (light/dark) were digitally enhanced to have acne (mild/severe) and were randomly presented to survey participants, who subsequently answered questions regarding stigmatizing attitudes with respect to the pictured individual. The survey was completed by 1,357 respondents (65.7% completion rate) (mean age, 42.4 years; 918 [67.7%] female, 439 [32.4%] male).
- Compared to those with no acne, for those with severe acne, participants reported less comfort being friends, hiring, having physical contact, dating, and posting a photograph together on social media.
- Compared to those with no acne, participants were more likely to rate individuals with severe acne as having poor hygiene and being unattractive, unintelligent, unlikable, immature, and untrustworthy.
- There was evidence that the effect size of the association of acne with desire to social distance was greater for individuals with dark skin.
Source:
Shields A, et al. (2023, December 6). JAMA Dermatol. Evaluation of Stigma Toward Individuals With Acne. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38055249/