Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Acne vulgaris is a chronic and common disease among adolescents. The effects of acne vulgaris on the caregiver's quality of life and its relationship to patient's quality of life have been seldom studied. This study aims to investigate impact of adolescent acne vulgaris on the patients' and their caregivers' quality of life and to evaluate the relationship between these two variables. METHODS: Acne vulgaris patients aged between 10 and 18 years and their caregivers were included in this prospective study. CDLQI (Children Dermatologic Quality of Life Index) and DFIS (Dermatological Family Impact Scale) questionnaires were used to assess the impact of acne vulgaris on the quality of life of patients and caregivers. SPSS version 21 was used for the statistical analysis; Spearman correlation test and Mann Whitney U test were used. RESULTS: This study has shown a significant correlation between DFIS and CDLQI, between severity of acne and CDLQI, and between the previous use of systemic antibiotics and DFIS. There is no relationship of age, sex, disease duration, number of siblings, amount of money spent and previous treatment modalities to CDLQI. There is no relationship between age, sex, acne severity, disease duration, number of children and amount of money spent on DFIS. CONCLUSION: Acne vulgaris not only has an impact on the patient's quality of life but also on the caregiver's quality of life, which in turn affects the patient's quality of life.