Association Between Diet and Acne Severity: A Cross-sectional Study in Thai Adolescents and Adults.

The association between diet and acne has been growing in concern. Every country has its own food culture. A few studies surveyed the influence of Asian cuisine on acne. This study investigated the association between acne severity and diet/lifestyle factors in 2,467 Thai adolescents and adults. The data were collected from the validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The prevalence of mild acne was 52%, moderate acne was 22%, and 8% severe acne in Thai adolescents and adults. No acne was found in 18% of participants. The dietary factors associated with increased acne severity were the consumption of chocolate >100 grams/weeks (aOR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.07-1.56), oily and fried food >3 times/week (aOR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.07-3.16) and white rice (aOR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.24-2.63). On the contrary, the factors associated with decreased acne severity were the consumption of sugar-free tea (aOR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.43-0.87), and vegetables (aOR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.62-0.89).