Body mass index is negatively associated with acne lesion counts in Taiwanese women with post-adolescent acne

Background Acne in adult women tends to be chronic, refractory to treatment and associated with psychosocial problems. Body mass index (BMI) has been reported to be a risk factor for acne in school children and adolescents, but not in adult women. Objectives The aim of this study was to demonstrate the relationship between BMI and acne lesion counts in women with post-adolescent acne. Methods Hundred and four women between 25 and 45 years of age, with moderate or severe acne vulgaris were enrolled in this study. The main outcome evaluated was the number of acne lesions, which were then assessed using multiple linear regression analysis. Results The coefficients of multiple regression analysis with stepwise model showed that BMI (beta = -0.36; p = 0.001) and family history (beta = 0.21; p = 0.04) were the main predictors of the number of acne lesions. Conclusion Initial findings indicate that BMI is negatively associated with the number of acne lesions in Taiwanese women with moderate to severe post-adolescent acne.