Association between Dietary Diversity and Acne Vulgaris among Girls Aged 13-18 of Tehran

One of the most common skin disorders during adolescence is acne vulgaris. The role of dietary diversity in the pathophysiology of acne vulgaris is highly controversial. The present study was conducted to report the relationship between dietary diversity score (DDS) and acne vulgaris among Tehranian girls. This case-control study was conducted among 135 teenage acne vulgaris patients as cases and 135 teenage girls without any signs of acne as controls in 2014. "Consensus Conference on Acne Classification" was used to determine acne severity. Their usual dietary intake was assessed by two 24-hour recall questionnaires. DDS was calculated according to the scoring of the five food groups based on the US Department of Agriculture Food Guide Pyramid. Weight, height and Body Mass Index (BMI) were measured according to the standard methods. The participants were categorized on the basis of quartile cut-off points of DDS. The means (± SD) of DDS in the case and control group were (5.77 ± 1.73, 5.64 ± 1.85, P>0.05) respectively. The meat and egg food group in the cases (1.02 ± 0.52) and grain food group in the controls (1.02 ± 0.57) had the lowest DDS. Although there was no significant association between DDS and acne vulgaris after adjustment for confounders, the participants in the highest quartile of DDS were less likely to have acne vulgaris (Odds ratios in the highest quartiles: 1.16, 1.30, 1.34, 1.23 and 1.42). No significant difference was observed between DDS and acne among Tehranian girls. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.