Kim Quach, MD

Kim Quach, MD
Pennsylvania State University, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Dept. of Dermatology
2012 Research Grant Recipient


Research Grant Proposal

Consumption of Dairy in Teenagers With and Without Acne

Acne is a common skin disorder that affects many people, most often during the adolescent and teenage years. Acne may occur for a short period of time, but most people suffer chronically over years. Individuals who have acne are often treated by medications, either topical or oral, but these drugs can be costly and have unwanted side effects. For years, researchers have looked into a relationship between diet and acne. Recent literature has implicated dairy as having a potential acne-inducing effect. The goal of this study is to investigate the link between diet and acne in adolescents. The specific emphasis of this study will be to examine the relationship between dairy consumption and acne. We will accomplish this by direct comparison of the number of servings of dairy consumed by teenagers with acne and the dairy servings per day of teenagers without acne.

During this study, we aim to test the hypothesis that teenagers with facial acne consume more dairy than those without acne. Using the Nutrition Data System for Research software, we will collect diet information from 150 acne patients and 150 control patients without acne ages 16-18.  We will aim to determine if individuals with acne consume a diet with a higher glycemic index than those without acne, if there is a difference in total calories consumed by teenagers with acne compared to those without acne, and if there is a difference in the percent of calories from fat and carbohydrates consumed by teenagers with acne compared to those without acne.