The Acne Education Project: An Educational Initiative to Improve Acne Health Literacy and Increase Help-seeking Behaviour in Pre-pubescent Youth

Acne vulgaris is a common dermatological condition and typically arises during adolescence. Misinformation may lead to mismanagement of disease and negative long-term sequelae such as scarring and depression. A previous educational intervention for adolescents between ages 12-17 led to improvements in acne-related quality of life.1 However, the value in improving acne health literacy and increasing help-seeking behaviour in pre-pubertal populations has yet to be assessed. An interactive Zoom presentation on acne pathogenesis, prevention, management, and its psychosocial impacts were delivered to 30 grade 5-7 classes by our organization (https://www.acneeducationproject.ca/). We administered QI surveys pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, and 1-month post-intervention to assess the efficacy and sustainability of benefits. Data from these surveys were used to guide adaptations to future presentations. Responses were analyzed using multivariable linear mixed effects regression models. 676 responses were collected and our respondent age range was 9-13. Results demonstrated that participants were significantly more confident in their knowledge of evidence-based acne prevention strategies, treatment, physical and psychosocial consequences, and more willing to seek help immediately after intervention (p<0.01 for all categories). These benefits were not fully preserved at the 1-month post-intervention assessment. However, students scored significantly higher than pre- intervention baselines in all categories (p<0.01). Assessment of potential associated factors revealed that females were more confident than their male counterparts in acne prevention (p=0.0038) and seeking medical attention (p=0.0021) after intervention. These results highlight the value of early acne educational interventions in improving acne health literacy, which may promote help-seeking tendencies and reduce negative long-term health outcomes.