A cross-sectional study of body mass index and sleep quality as risk factors to severity of acne.

Objective To analyse the association of body mass index and sleep quality with severity of acne. Methods The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Dermatology Department of Mayo Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan, from January to March 2019, and comprised acne patients of either gender aged 12-45 years. Data was collected using a pre-designed questionnaire. Acne grades 1, 2, 3 and 4 were determined by a consultant dermatologist. Pittsburgh sleep quality index was used to assess sleep quality, while body mass index was calculated as per the standard procedure. Data was analyzed using SPSS 22. Results Of the 98 patients, 27(27.6%) were male and 71(72.4%) were female. The overall mean age of the sample was 22.3±4.9 years. There were 36(36.7%) patients with acne grade 3, followed by 25(25.5%) each with grades 1 and 2, and 12(12.2%) with grade 4. The relationship between body mass index and acne severity was not significant (p=0.07), and the same was the case with sleep quality (p=0.09). Conclusions Body mass index and sleep quality were not found to be associated with acne severity.