Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding acne among university students

This study aimed to explore the interrelationships among university students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding acne. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Beijing Bo'ai Hospital, employing a web-based questionnaire from April 22 to June 20, 2024. A total of 453 valid responses were collected, revealing that 63.58% of participants were female and 70.20% experienced occasional anxiety about their appearance. The average KAP scores were 9.61 ± 0.79 for knowledge (range: 0-10), 27.00 ± 2.57 for attitude (range: 8-40), and 29.69 ± 4.88 for practice (range: 9-45). Correlation analysis indicated a modest but statistically significant link between attitude and practice. Path analysis suggested that knowledge had a small positive effect on attitude and a small indirect effect on practice through attitude, whereas the direct effect of knowledge on practice was not significant. Overall, students demonstrated adequate knowledge about acne, while their attitudes and practices appeared less engaged relative to their knowledge levels. The study suggests that educational interventions should aim to improve both knowledge and attitudes to promote proactive acne management among university students.