Assessing the Need for a Comprehensive Acne Quality-of-Life Scale for Face and Torso Acne.

PURPOSE: While acne, a common condition, largely involves the face, chest, and back, current acne quality-of-life measures focus primarily on facial acne. The purpose of this study was to assess the need for a comprehensive quality-of-life measure intended for use with patients who have facial and/or torso acne.

METHODS

We evaluated the need for a comprehensive quality-of-life scale for facial and torso acne based on data from an epidemiological survey (N = 690) in which participants were grouped according to the location of their acne (face, torso, or both) and where quality of life was assessed.

RESULTS

Analysis of variance results revealed that participants with acne on their torso reported the highest levels of quality of life while participants with acne on their face reported the lowest levels.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a need for a quality-of-life instrument that assesses the impact of acne on the face and torso separately. This unmet need can be addressed with a comprehensive acne quality-of-life measure that is inclusive of torso acne.