Socioeconomic status, race, and preadolescent acne: A population-based retrospective cohort analysis in a mixed rural–urban community of the United States (Olmsted County, Minnesota)

Background/Objective: There is limited information about the potential relationship of socioeconomic status (SES) with acne in preadolescents. Our objective was to assess the possible relationship between SES and preadolescent acne. Methods: A population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted to identify Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents with an initial acne diagnosis between 7 and ≤12 years old during 2010 to 2018 using the Rochester Epidemiology Project. For each acne case, we randomly selected 2 sex- and age-matched controls without an acne diagnosis from the county. Individual HOUsing-based SocioEconomic Status index (HOUSES) derived from real property data was used to evaluate SES, represented as four quartiles with higher quartile representing higher SES. Results: A total of 604 patients met the criteria. HOUSES distribution significantly differed between cases and controls (p =.001); a higher proportion of acne cases were in quartile 4 (42.2% vs. 32.7%), indicating higher SES. Race and ethnicity did not significantly differ between cases and controls. Among cases and controls, 74.5% and 72.3% were White, respectively. Study limitations include its retrospective design, only patients who visited a physician were included, and Olmsted County residents are largely non-Hispanic White. Conclusion: Preadolescents diagnosed with acne have a higher SES than those without diagnosed acne, highlighting a potential disparity in access to care and appropriate diagnosis.