Taha Sari, Taha Manal, Zyoud Sa'ed H
An-Najah Global Health Institute, An-Najah National University, Nablus 44839, Palestine.
Department of Public Health, An-Najah National University, Nablus 44839, Palestine.
Explor Res Clin Soc Pharm. 2025 Apr 3;18:100601. doi: 10.1016/j.rcsop.2025.100601. eCollection 2025 Jun.
The use of self-care methods, such as over-the-counter (OTC) products and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), is common along the acne care pathway. This study aimed to explore self-care methods for acne and assess their associations with acne severity.
This cross-sectional study was conducted among university students in health programs. Convenience sampling was used to invite participants to complete a survey containing sociodemographic, clinical, and self-care-related questions. Acne diagnosis and severity were evaluated by a physician via the Global Acne Grading System (GAGS). A multivariate regression model was used to analyze the associations between variables.
The final sample comprised 190 participants, with 24.2 % males and 70.8 % females. Most participants had mild acne (77.4 %) and reported positive family histories (82.1 %). Approximately one-third used OTC products (31.1 %), and nearly two-thirds used CAM (62.6 %). The most frequently used OTC products were facial cleansers (48.2 %), followed by creams and moisturizers (30.7 %) and cleansing soap (21.1 %). A lack of acne severity was the primary reason for the use of CAM. Social media (46.7 %) and the internet (46.2 %) were the most frequently reported sources of information. Acne severity was associated with OTC product use ( 0.009) and the duration of acne ( < 0.001). Furthermore, OTC product use was associated with receiving a professional diagnosis ( < 0.001).
This study identified the most common OTC products and CAM used in acne and demonstrated an association between OTC product use and acne severity. Future studies should explore discussions on self-care methods in clinical consultations and the timing of using these methods throughout the care pathway. Integrating shared decision-making in clinical practice and tailoring educational interventions to patient preferences and communication channels may encourage the safe and effective use of self-care methods.
在痤疮护理过程中，使用非处方（OTC）产品以及补充和替代医学（CAM）等自我护理方法很常见。本研究旨在探索痤疮的自我护理方法，并评估它们与痤疮严重程度的关联。
本横断面研究在健康项目的大学生中进行。采用便利抽样邀请参与者完成一项包含社会人口统计学、临床和自我护理相关问题的调查。由医生通过全球痤疮分级系统（GAGS）评估痤疮诊断和严重程度。使用多元回归模型分析变量之间的关联。
最终样本包括190名参与者，其中男性占24.2%，女性占70.8%。大多数参与者患有轻度痤疮（77.4%），并报告有阳性家族史（82.1%）。约三分之一的人使用非处方产品（31.1%），近三分之二的人使用补充和替代医学（62.6%）。最常用的非处方产品是洁面乳（48.2%），其次是面霜和保湿霜（30.7%）以及洁面皂（21.1%）。痤疮严重程度不足是使用补充和替代医学的主要原因。社交媒体（46.7%）和互联网（46.2%）是最常被报告的信息来源。痤疮严重程度与非处方产品使用（P = 0.009）和痤疮持续时间（P < 0.001）相关。此外，非处方产品使用与接受专业诊断相关（P < 0.001）。
本研究确定了痤疮中最常用的非处方产品和补充和替代医学，并证明了非处方产品使用与痤疮严重程度之间的关联。未来的研究应探讨临床咨询中关于自我护理方法的讨论，以及在整个护理过程中使用这些方法的时机。将共同决策纳入临床实践，并根据患者偏好和沟通渠道调整教育干预措施，可能会鼓励安全有效地使用自我护理方法。
