Predictors of quality of life for adults with acne: Τhe contribution of perceived stigma

Abstract

As attaining a visible difference has been cited as particularly stigmatizing (Del Rosso et al., 2011; Fauerbach et al., 2007), this quantitative study assessed the contribution of an under investigated variable -perceived stigma- in predicting the quality of life in adults with acne. The main aim of the exploratory part of this study was to assess the capacity eight variables (perceived stigma, self-rated severity of acne, location of acne, previous history of acne, gender, age, relationship status and education) in predicting the quality of life in Greek adults with acne; and secondarily, to determine whether participants’ gender and education were associated with levels of perceived stigma. Adult patients with acne (N=119, M/F: 38/81; mean age: M = 26.37, SD =7.97), recruited from six private dermatology offices in Athens, Greece were administered the culturally adapted Feelings of Stigmatization Questionnaire (FSQ) and Acne-specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (Acne-QoL). The results indicated that perceived stigma, self-rated severity of acne, gender, age, and history of acne significantly predicted QoL levels, with perceived stigma making the largest contribution to all three domains of Acne-QoL. Participants’ gender and education were not significantly associated with levels of perceived stigma.