Acne interview study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Experiences of acne vulgaris and its related treatments: a qualitative interview study followed by think aloud user testing
IRAS ID
223028
Contact name
Athena Ip
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Southampton
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Acne is a common skin condition affecting people of all ages, particularly amongst people between the ages of 14 and 19 years. Acne can cause low moods, anxiety and embarrassment. The main treatments for acne are topical medications that can be applied to the skin (creams, gels and ointments). Many people don’t use these long enough to see any improvement, as they need to be used for up to 8 weeks before they start working. Side effects including skin irritation can also stop people from using topical treatments regularly, although side effects can be avoided with the correct detailed advice. For these reasons, many people go on to use antibiotics. This is a concern because of the rising levels of antibiotic resistance. For this project, young adolescents between the ages of 14 and 25 will be recruited via hospitals, general practices and through community advertising. Phase 1 of the project will be a qualitative interview exploring people’s experiences of having acne and its related treatments. A draft website will be developed from these findings. This will lead onto phase 2 of the project which will be a series of think aloud interviews with young adolescents who have acne to evaluate the usability and feasibility of the website. Think aloud interviews are used to understand people’s thoughts and opinions about the website by asking them to speak out loud whilst using a draft version.
REC name
South Central - Hampshire B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/SC/0197
Date of REC Opinion
30 May 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion