Abstract:
Background: Skin bleaching is the cosmetic treatment to reduce melanin in the skin. Melanin
acts as a protector of the body from external factors that can harm it. The use of skin bleaching
has recently increased in Tanzania. Bleaching agents can be in various forms such as creams,
pills, injection and soap. They contain hydroquinone, mercury and steroids which are highly
poisonous to human body that may lead to diseases such as leukemia, skin cancer, kidney
failure, hypertension and irreversible skin damage. Despite these adverse effects, the use of
skin bleaching agents is still on the rise. Women especially female college students are
engaged in bleaching their skin for beautification without the knowledge of adverse effects to
their body physiology.
Aim of the study: To assess the extent of use of skin bleaching agents and its associated
factors among female college students in Ilala District, Dar es Salaam.
Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among female students in four
randomly selected higher learning institutions in Ilala district, Dar es Salaam Multi stage
sampling technique was used to obtain the study sample. The data was collected by using self
administered structured questionnaire to 623 female students. Data entry and analysis was
conducted by the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Data was
summarized using descriptive statistics. Frequency distribution tables summarized categorical
variables. Logistic regression was used to examine associations between various study
subjects’ characteristics and use of skin bleaching agents.
Results: The proportion of higher learning students reported to use skin bleaching agents was
57.8%. College students who were divorced or cohabiting were about twelve times more
likely to use bleach compared to those who were single [adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 11.97
(95% CI: 3.28, 43.72)]. Students from Institute of finance Management (IFM) and
Dar es salaam school of journalism (DSJ) were more likely to use bleach compared to students
from Muhimbili university of health Allied Science (MUHAS) (about 23 times and 7 times
respectively, p<0.0001).
Students who perceived positively about skin bleaching agents were twice more likely to use
skin bleaching agents compared to those who are with negative views or those who did not
have any views about skin bleaching agents (AOR, 2.63; 95% CI: 1.64, 4.23, p <0.0001). Age
and income were not associated with use of skin bleaching agents.
Conclusion: Results of this study led to the following conclusion. Over half of the female
students reported to use skin bleaching agent. Secondly being married, divorced and a student
of Institute of finance management (IFM) or Dar es salaam School of Journalism (DSJ)
student was associated with the use of skin bleaching product, However face and arms where
the most parts of the Body where by application of the bleaching agent was reported and
Positive perception towards the end results of using skin bleaching products caused the
consumer to continue using the product
Recommendation; Sustainable health education to intensify awareness on the side effects of
the skin bleaching agents may need to be raised to curb their serious health effects and change
the perception among college students
