Prevalence and motivation factors of bleaching practices among female university students in Mogadishu, Somalia

Background: Skin bleaching is the cosmetic use of hazardous substances or skin lightening agents to change one’s natural skin pigment. Skin bleaching products contain substances such as corticosteroids, hydroquinone, mercury salts, and other compounds that decrease the melanin. Objective: To assess the prevalence of skin bleaching and identify the motivating factors among female university students in Mogadishu, Somalia. Design and methods: This cross-sectional study included 317 female university students in Mogadishu, Somalia, from February to July 2024. Structured questionnaires were used for data collection. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 27.0, reporting categorical variables as frequencies and percentages; significance was determined at p < 0.05 for both crude odds ratios in univariate analyses and adjusted odds ratios (AORs) in multivariate analyses. Results: Almost 77.3% of participants showed awareness of skin bleaching, with main information sources mentioned as media (39.7%) and friends (34.1%). Two-thirds (63.4%) reported experiencing skin conditions like acne (27.1%). Univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted. From the results, only female students with a monthly income between USD 50 and 100 were 1.21 (AOR = 1.21, 95% confidence interval: 1.102–1.6341) more likely to bleach their skin compared to those with an income less than USD 50. Conclusions: The study reveals a high prevalence of skin bleaching practices among female university students despite widespread awareness. Media and peer influence play a major role, and many participants reported adverse skin effects. Monthly income emerged as the key factor associated with skin bleaching, underscoring the need for targeted public health education and interventions.