Lifestyle factors -- including stress -- may play a role in adult acne development, a new study suggests.

Researchers in Italy compared 248 women diagnosed with adult acne to 270 women without acne. They found that adult acne was associated with a personal history of acne in adolescence, a history of acne in a parent or sibling, no prior pregnancies, hirsutism, working in an office, high levels of stress, and low consumption of fruits, vegetables and fresh fish.

The study authors acknowledge that their results do not necessarily indicate that these factors cause acne and state that more research on the subject is necessary.

The findings appear in the December 2016 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.