Early Canities among Undergraduate Medical Students of a Medical College: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

INTRODUCTION: Early canities are the premature greying of hair before the age of 25 years in Asians. The condition is a matter of concern for young adults aesthetically. This study aimed to find out the prevalence of early canities among undergraduate medical students of a medical college. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out from 1 December 2021 to 30 June 2022 among undergraduate medical students at a medical college. The study was conducted after receiving ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee [Reference number: 146(6-11) C-2 078/079]. The participants with ages less than 25 years without a history of vitiligo, intake of chemotherapeutic drugs, progeria, pangeria and recent dyeing of hair were enrolled. A convenience sampling method was used. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated. RESULTS: Out of 235 students, 95 (40.42%) (34.15-46.69, 95% Confidence Interval) had early canities. The most prevalent premature greying was grade I early canities i.e.79 (83.15%) of participants. Among the participants with early canities, 56 (58.94%) were male, 41 (43.15%) had a positive family history for early canities, 67 (70.52%) had normal body mass index and 38 (40%) had O+ve blood group. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of early canities among undergraduate medical students was lower than in other studies done in similar settings. The grade I early canities was seen more among the participants with premature greying of hair.