Skin Disease and Stigma in Emerging Adulthood: Impact on Healthy Development

Background: Visible skin disorders can limit healthy psychosocial development in several domains owing to the stigma these disorders create. Objective: To assess if emerging adults with acne and eczema perceive stigma in diverse developmental domains resulting from their visible skin conditions. Met...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of cutaneous medicine and surgery 2010-11, Vol.14 (6), p.285-290
Main Authors: Roosta, Neda, Black, David S., Peng, David, Riley, Lee W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acne Vulgaris - pathology
Acne Vulgaris - psychology
Age Factors
Biological and medical sciences
Cohort Studies
Dermatology
Eczema - pathology
Eczema - psychology
Female
Human Development
Humans
Male
Medical sciences
Quality of Life
Sex Factors
Social Perception
Social Stigma
Young Adult
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Summary:Background: Visible skin disorders can limit healthy psychosocial development in several domains owing to the stigma these disorders create. Objective: To assess if emerging adults with acne and eczema perceive stigma in diverse developmental domains resulting from their visible skin conditions. Methods: A convenience sample of 336 emerging adults attending a diverse public university in northern California completed a Web-based survey. Multivariate modeling was used to determine if eczema and acne result in perceived stigma. Results: The mean (SD) age of respondents was 20.1(1.5) years; most were white (43.2%) and female (62.5%). Almost half (47%) reported acne and 16.4% reported eczema. The likelihood of experiencing perceived stigma was 1.6 (95% CI 1.13–2.27, p < .001) times higher for those with eczema compared to those without eczema, and the likelihood of experiencing perceived stigma was 3.19 (95% CI 2.41–4.22, p < .0001) times higher for those with acne compared to those without acne. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that emerging adults perceive stigma as a result of their acne and eczema in several important developmental domains. The results suggest that acne may have a stronger relationship with perceived stigma than eczema, perhaps owing to its greater visibility on the body. University-based activities are recommended to support those with skin disease.
ISSN:1203-4754
1615-7109
DOI:10.2310/7750.2010.09053