Conceptualization and Measurement of Physiologic Health for Adults

Acne involves malfunction of the sebaceous glands of the skin, resulting in a variety of lesions. Data on its prevalence and adverse consequences are used in the Health Insurance Study (HIS) to investigate the effect of different levels of insurance on health status and quality of care because of its widespread prevalence, potentially serious psychosocial complications, and possibility of controlling or altering its natural history. This volume reviews pertinent medical literature, details the HIS definition of acne, describes HIS methods for measuring its presence and impact on people's lives, presents and discusses the enrollment data of the six HIS sites, and outlines quality-of-care criteria. Illustrative findings include the following: based on facial photographs, about 15 percent of the HIS adult sample was classified as having acne; among those aged 14-17, the rate was 45 percent. Of those afflicted, 76 percent reported worrying about the condition; 28 percent reported avoiding social interactions.