부산대학교 도서관

Acne is common1 and can have a significant impact on quality of life and psychological health.2-4 Family, friends and the internet are more commonly consulted than doctors for acne information,3,5,6 and acne is often trivialised as a cosmetic rather than a medical problem.5 Many therefore pursue over-the-counter (OTC) therapies before seeking medical advice, with few of these OTC therapies being evidence-based.7 Of the studies investigating costs to patients of acne management,8 most have focused on prescription medications.9,10 Total spending has not previously been assessed in relation to patient income. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between acne expenditure and: i) impact on quality of life ( I P i = 0.01) (Figure S2); ii) time spent on acne management ( I P i = 0.002) (Figure S3); and iii) facial distribution of acne (p = 0.02). [Extracted from the article]