Bengü Çevirgen Cemil

Bio: Bengü Çevirgen Cemil is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Social media. The author has co-authored 2 publications.

Social media use in patients with acne vulgaris: What do patients expect from social media?

Abstract: Background Acne vulgaris (AV) may affect external appearance and significantly deteriorate the quality of life of patients. Therefore, patients make various inquiries about their disease and seek treatment options. Aims To investigate the social media usage habits of patients with AV concerning their diseases, and their recommendations for dermatologists related to social media use. Methods A total of 1609 patients with AV completed the survey prepared by the authors and the Cardiff Acne Disability Index questionnaire. The Food and Drug Administration severity scores and clinical information of the patients were noted by their physicians. Results Of the 1,489 patients who stated that they used social media, 46.31% regularly and 28.77% sometimes referred to these sources to make inquiries about AV. Social media usage for AV was statistically significantly higher in women, participants with short term and severe disease, those with a moderate income level, and those using topical treatment and cosmetics. They mostly used Google (67%), Instagram (54%), and YouTube (49%). While 76% of the participants stated that they did not share what they saw on the Internet with their doctor. Of the respondents, 18.5% were trying to contact their dermatologists through the Internet, and 69.73% would prefer experts such as dermatologists to post-AV-related content. Conclusions Our study shows that patients frequently resort to social media to seek information about AV. In the changing digital world order, it is observed that there is a need for dermatologists to use social media more actively to share accurate information about AV.

Rates of skincare product and cosmetic procedure use in patients with acne vulgaris and the effective factors: A multicenter study with 1,755 patients

Abstract: BACKGROUND Skincare products and cosmetic procedures are used as an adjunct or complementary to conventional drug therapy for acne vulgaris (AV). OBJECTIVE To evaluate the use of skincare products and the frequency of cosmetic procedures in AV treatment. METHODS A total of 1,755 patients with AV completed the survey prepared by the researchers and the Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI) questionnaire. The clinical findings and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) severity scores were recorded by the dermatologists. RESULTS For AV, 66.7% of the patients stated that they used skincare products and 26.7% had undergone cosmetic procedures. The use of skincare products was statistically significantly higher in women (female: 74.5%, male: 57.7%, p < 0.0001); older people (users: 22 ± 7.6years, non-users: 21.2 ± 5.7 years, p < 0.0001); patients with a higher CADI score (users: 7 ± 3.7, non-users: 6.9 ± 4.3, p = 0.010); FDA severity score 2 and 3 (FDA-1: 58.1%; FDA-2: 72.4%, FDA-3: 73%, FDA-4: 67%, p < 0.0001); long-term disease (users: 57 ± 43 months; non-users: 47.7 ± 42.3 months, p < 0.0001); facial involvement (present: 70.2%, absent: 51.4%, p = 0.017); high income levels (users: 73.5%; non-users: 26.5%, p = 0.001); and graduate or post-graduate degrees (undergraduate≤%62.8, graduate≥%76.8, p < 0.0001). The rate of cosmetic procedures was higher in those with higher CADI scores (users: 7.8 ± 3.8; non-users: 7.1 ± 3.96, p < 0.0001); older patients (users: 22.7 ± 10.7 years; non-users: 21.3 ± 5 years, p < 0.0001); high school (25.6%); and graduate (28.9%) education (p = 0.043), those with lower disease severity (FDA-1: 31.1%; FDA-2: 28.5%, FDA-3: 27.1%, FDA-4: 20.4%, p = 0.022); smokers (smokers: 32.5%; non-smokers: 25.5%, p = 0.020), and those with AV in the family (present: 29.8%; absent: 24.2%, p = 0.009). The patients most frequently used cleansers (85.2%) as cosmetic products, and most commonly underwent skincare treatment (71%) as an interventional procedure. They mostly learned about such products and methods from the Internet, and 33.3% of the participants had undergone procedures performed by non-physicians. CONCLUSION The patients generally choose skincare products as a result of their Internet search and sometimes have these procedures performed by non-physicians. Dermatologists should be aware of this situation and inform their patients about appropriate products and procedures.

Patient Perceptions About Acne, Nutrition, and a Dietary Information Gap

Abstract: Background There is increasing evidence that certain dietary factors affect the course of acne vulgaris. Objectives The primary aim of this exploratory survey was to reveal patients' perceptions of a possible link between acne and diet. Secondary, patients' perceptions of the quality of nutritional communication, sources of dietary information, and a dietary information gap, have been investigated. Methods An online survey is conducted on Instagram using a structured questionnaire in German. Data is analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively, and chi-square tests are performed. Results Most of the 1,040 participants believe that there is a connection between acne and diet (75%). However, due to a frequent lack of nutritional consultation by dermatologists (87%), participants' nutritional information needs are not met. Therefore, they seek additional sources of information, mainly Instagram(63%), online forums(54%), and textbooks (46%). However, the participants feel that their nutritional interventions are unsuccessful and believe that an information gap exists. Conclusion This study draws attention to the existence of an information gap regarding the topic of acne and nutrition. Adequate patient education on currently available data and its limitations is urgently needed to counteract patients' long-held beliefs in diet and acne myths.

Evaluation of Psychiatric Comorbidities and Quality of Life As Well As Brain‐Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) Concentrations Among Patients Suffering From Acne Vulgaris: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract: Acne vulgaris usually affects the dermal layer of the skin and is revealed frequently in young adulthood and adolescence. It has serious psychosocial comorbidities. We conducted the present systematic review and meta-analysis to elucidate the association of acne vulgaris with psychiatric comorbidities and quality of life as well as the brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the published articles were carried out following the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. We investigated diverse databases: Web of Science, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, PsycINFO, and CINAHL to search for articles reporting the prevalence of psychosocial comorbidities among patients with acne vulgaris from database inception through June 2022. The outcomes were depression, anxiety, symptom checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R), quality of life, self-esteem, stress, loneliness, and BDNF concentrations. Of 3647 articles identified, 23 met the inclusion criteria. Patients with acne vulgaris have a significantly higher level of anxiety, depression, and stress (P<0.05). Yet, the reported findings of the SCL-90-R, self-esteem, loneliness, and BDNF scores among patients suffering from acne vulgaris were variable and did not differ significantly compared to healthy participants (P>0.05), hampering any conclusive findings on absolute prevalence. Subgroup analysis and comparison showed that heterogeneity between studies was likely due to factors, including country, study design, and assessment tools. This comprehensive review and meta-analysis revealed that anxiety, depression, and stress are significantly more frequent among patients suffering from acne vulgaris. These findings confirm that acne vulgaris has both psychiatric and medical characteristics and requires a multidisciplinary approach.

Surveying the Landscape of Social Media Usage for Health Care by Otolaryngology Patients.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE To determine factors associated with social media usage for finding a doctor or seeking medical advice among otolaryngology patients. METHODS Cross-sectional study of 361 patients visiting our clinics. All participants were asked if they were aware social media may be used to find doctors and if they had ever done so, and also if they were aware social media could be used to get advice about a medical condition or its treatment and if they had ever done so. Demographic characteristics were examined for association with affirmative answers to these questions. RESULTS Facebook was the most used social media platform with 50.7% using Facebook daily. Over 50% of participants were aware social media could be used to find a doctor or seek medical advice. Daily use of Facebook was associated with using social media for finding a doctor (OR = 2.57, 95%CI: 1.41-4.67, p = 0.002) and seeking medical advice (OR = 1.72, 95%CI: 1.09-2.71, p = 0.020). Having Medicare was associated with using social media to find a doctor (OR = 2.20, 95%CI: 1.15-4.21, p = 0.017), whereas Medicaid was associated with using social media for medical advice (OR = 1.99, 95%CI: 1.08-3.67, p = 0.027). CONCLUSION A majority of otolaryngology patients may be aware of health care applications of social media, with Facebook being the dominant platform, and Medicare insurance identifying patients who may most use social media in this manner. There is also an indication that social determinants of health, as reflected by Medicaid insurance, may be associated with using social media to seek medical advice. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE NA Laryngoscope, 2022.

The Influence of Social Media on the Treatment of Acne in Saudi Arabia

Abstract: Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of social media on acne treatment among the Saudi Arabian population. Methods This was a cross-sectional survey-based study conducted from January 2021 to August 2021. A self-administered survey was distributed through social media to different regions of Saudi Arabia. The survey obtained participants’ sociodemographic information and details on whether people used social media for advice on acne treatment. It also asked whether they noticed any change in their acne based on social media recommendations. Results Of the 5,539 respondents, 4,227 experienced acne, of which 1,793 were influenced by social media. Most respondents were women. The majority of social media users were between 18 and 25 years old and chose social media as their first approach for acne advice. The most commonly used platform was Instagram (34%). The most frequent social media recommendation chosen was to increase water intake. Many noticed a slight change in their acne (64%), and 14.9% had side effects. There was a significant association between the use of social media for advice and gender (p-value < 0.001), education level (p-value = 0.002), and severity of acne (p-value < 0.001). Conclusion Social media has an influence on acne treatment, with many advice not recommended by established guidelines. These findings imply that dermatologists should pinpoint inaccuracies resulting from advice found on social media.