{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,10]],"date-time":"2026-02-10T12:44:51Z","timestamp":1770727491561,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":57,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,16]],"date-time":"2021-06-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1623801600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004564","name":"Ministarstvo Prosvete, Nauke i Tehnolo\u0161kog Razvoja","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["200110"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["200110"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004564","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Acne is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease with a high prevalence in adolescent and early adult years. The aim of this study was to assess the self-perceived beliefs of Montenegrin secondary school pupils regarding the acne aggravating and ameliorating factors.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>This cross-sectional survey of the pupils was conducted during October and November 2020 in four randomly selected public secondary schools in Podgorica, Montenegro. All 500 pupils were asked to fill in a questionnaire that included questions on age, sex, presence of acne, perceived acne aggravating and ameliorating factors, and sources of their information about acne.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>A total of 500 pupils, 234 (46.8%) boys, and 266 (53.2%) girls, aged 14\u221217 years, participated in the study. Acne was self-reported in 249 (49.8%) pupils, whereas 251 (50.2%) did not report acne. Factors most often believed to aggravate acne were inadequate face washing (85.0%), hormones (84.0%), sweets (82.0%), greasy food (72.6%), makeup (71.2%), and stress (67.8%). Overall the most prevalent acne ameliorating factors were cosmetic treatment (80.4%), increased water consumption (77.6%), a diet change to a healthier food choice (77.4%), and being on school holidays (62.2%). Girls reported more frequently that genetics, stress, sweets consumption, inadequate face wash, and makeup are acne exacerbating factors, whilst cosmetic treatment, increased water consumption, smoking, and being on school holidays are acne ameliorating factors. Boys more frequently considered the benefit of losing weight. There was no statistically significant difference between pupils with and without acne in perceived factors, except for cosmetic treatment. Those with acne more frequently believed in the benefits of cosmetic treatment.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Many adolescents\u2019 self-perceived beliefs about factors that aggravate and ameliorate acne are myths and misconceptions without evidence-based justification. More efforts are needed to educate pupils about the acne aggravating and ameliorating factors, its health-related consequences, and the treatment possibilities.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0253421","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,16]],"date-time":"2021-06-16T17:29:19Z","timestamp":1623864559000},"page":"e0253421","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["Adolescents\u2019 beliefs and perceptions of acne vulgaris: A cross-sectional study in Montenegrin schoolchildren"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Milena","family":"Ra\u017enatovi\u0107 \u0110urovi\u0107","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2387-6596","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Janko","family":"Jankovi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Milica","family":"\u0110urovi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jelena","family":"Spiri\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Slavenka","family":"Jankovi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0253421.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2136","DOI":"10.1038\/jid.2009.47","article-title":"Prevalence, severity, and severity risk factors of acne in high school pupils: a community-based study","volume":"129","author":"SZ Ghodsi","year":"2009","journal-title":"J Invest Dermatol"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0253421.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"298","DOI":"10.1111\/jdv.14475","article-title":"Acne prevalence and associations with lifestyle: a cross-sectional online survey of adolescents\/young adults in 7 European countries","volume":"32","author":"P Wolkenstein","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0253421.ref003","first-page":"308","article-title":"Living with acne. 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