Home  About us  Contact
 

Occupational Skin Diseases (occupational + skin_diseases)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Medical Sciences100%

Selected Abstracts

A 6-month follow-up study of 1048 patients diagnosed with an occupational skin disease

CONTACT DERMATITIS, Issue 5 2009
Tarja Mälkönen
Background: Occupational skin diseases (OSDs) often have considerable medical and occupational consequences. Previous data on prognostic factors have been derived from studies with fairly small sample sizes. Objectives: To determine the medical and occupational outcome in 1048 patients diagnosed with OSD at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and to identify the prognostic risk factors for the continuation of OSD. Methods: Patients examined in 1994,2001 filled out a follow-up questionnaire 6 months after the diagnosis. Data on atopy, contact allergies, and occupation were analysed. Results: Six months after the diagnosis the skin disease had healed in 27% of the patients. The OSD had cleared up in 17% of those with no changes at work, and in 34% of those who had changed their job/occupation. The best clearing had occurred in the patients with contact urticaria (35%), whereas the healing of allergic (27%) and irritant (23%) contact dermatitis was similar. The risk factors for continuing occupational contact dermatitis (OCD) were no changes in work, age > 45 years, food-related occupations, respiratory atopy, and male sex. Conclusions: The healing of OSD was associated with discontinuation of the causative exposure. A change in work and the presence of easily avoidable work-related allergies were associated with a good prognosis. [source]

OEESC-2005 , Summing up on the theme Irritants and Wet Work

CONTACT DERMATITIS, Issue 6 2006
Mari-Ann Flyvholm
The aim of this paper was to summarize the presentations and discussions on the theme Irritants and Wet Work at the second conference on Occupational and Environmental Exposures of Skin to Chemicals held in Stockholm June 2005 (OEESC-2005) to bring the focus points to a broader group of professionals and stimulate further discussions. Occupational skin diseases are common diseases with a huge potential for prevention. The risk factors are mostly well known, and the ongoing high occurrence of occupational skin diseases may be seen as a paradox problem. Although all mechanisms involved in occupational skin diseases are not shown throughout, much is known. The existing knowledge justifies the relevance of reducing exposure and introducing prevention programmes. The questions identified for further research included an internationally agreed-upon definition of wet work; better methods to assess the exposure to wet work; the effect of combined exposure to water and water-soluble irritants; the importance of wet work with frequent/short wet,dry cycles versus working longer periods with wet hands; testing skin protection and skin care products; long-term skin effects from alcohol-based hand disinfectants; workplace testing of evidence-based prevention programmes in prospective randomized, controlled intervention studies. [source]

Nordic Occupational Skin Questionnaire (NOSQ-2002): a new tool for surveying occupational skin diseases and exposure

CONTACT DERMATITIS, Issue 2 2003
P Susitaival
Occupational skin diseases are among the most frequent work-related diseases in industrialized countries. Good occupational skin disease statistics exist in few countries. Questionnaire studies are needed to get more data on the epidemiology of occupational skin diseases. The Nordic Occupational Skin Questionnaire Group has developed a new questionnaire tool , Nordic Occupational Skin Questionnaire (NOSQ-2002) , for surveys on work-related skin disease and exposures to environmental factors. The 2 NOSQ-2002 questionnaires have been compiled by using existing questionnaires and experience. NOSQ-2002/SHORT is a ready-to-use 4-page questionnaire for screening and monitoring occupational skin diseases, e.g. in a population or workplace. All the questions in the short questionnaire (NOSQ-2002/SHORT) are included in the long version, NOSQ-2002/LONG, which contains a pool of questions to be chosen according to research needs and tailored to specific populations. The NOSQ-2002 report includes, in addition to the questionnaires, a comprehensive manual for researchers on planning and conducting a questionnaire survey on hand eczema and relevant exposures. NOSQ-2002 questionnaires have been compiled in English and translated into Danish, Swedish, Finnish and Icelandic. The use of NOSQ-2002 will benefit research on occupational skin diseases by providing more standardized data, which can be compared between studies and countries. [source]

OEESC-2005 , Summing up on the theme Irritants and Wet Work

CONTACT DERMATITIS, Issue 6 2006
Mari-Ann Flyvholm
The aim of this paper was to summarize the presentations and discussions on the theme Irritants and Wet Work at the second conference on Occupational and Environmental Exposures of Skin to Chemicals held in Stockholm June 2005 (OEESC-2005) to bring the focus points to a broader group of professionals and stimulate further discussions. Occupational skin diseases are common diseases with a huge potential for prevention. The risk factors are mostly well known, and the ongoing high occurrence of occupational skin diseases may be seen as a paradox problem. Although all mechanisms involved in occupational skin diseases are not shown throughout, much is known. The existing knowledge justifies the relevance of reducing exposure and introducing prevention programmes. The questions identified for further research included an internationally agreed-upon definition of wet work; better methods to assess the exposure to wet work; the effect of combined exposure to water and water-soluble irritants; the importance of wet work with frequent/short wet,dry cycles versus working longer periods with wet hands; testing skin protection and skin care products; long-term skin effects from alcohol-based hand disinfectants; workplace testing of evidence-based prevention programmes in prospective randomized, controlled intervention studies. [source]

Nordic Occupational Skin Questionnaire (NOSQ-2002): a new tool for surveying occupational skin diseases and exposure

CONTACT DERMATITIS, Issue 2 2003
P Susitaival
Occupational skin diseases are among the most frequent work-related diseases in industrialized countries. Good occupational skin disease statistics exist in few countries. Questionnaire studies are needed to get more data on the epidemiology of occupational skin diseases. The Nordic Occupational Skin Questionnaire Group has developed a new questionnaire tool , Nordic Occupational Skin Questionnaire (NOSQ-2002) , for surveys on work-related skin disease and exposures to environmental factors. The 2 NOSQ-2002 questionnaires have been compiled by using existing questionnaires and experience. NOSQ-2002/SHORT is a ready-to-use 4-page questionnaire for screening and monitoring occupational skin diseases, e.g. in a population or workplace. All the questions in the short questionnaire (NOSQ-2002/SHORT) are included in the long version, NOSQ-2002/LONG, which contains a pool of questions to be chosen according to research needs and tailored to specific populations. The NOSQ-2002 report includes, in addition to the questionnaires, a comprehensive manual for researchers on planning and conducting a questionnaire survey on hand eczema and relevant exposures. NOSQ-2002 questionnaires have been compiled in English and translated into Danish, Swedish, Finnish and Icelandic. The use of NOSQ-2002 will benefit research on occupational skin diseases by providing more standardized data, which can be compared between studies and countries. [source]

Latino farmworker perceptions of the risk factors for occupational skin disease,

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 6 2006
Thomas A. Arcury PhD
Abstract Background Farmworkers in the US constitute a medically underserved population at substantial risk for numerous environmental and occupational health problems. Most US farmworkers are Latino. Skin disease is one health problem to which farmworkers are particularly vulnerable. Interventions to reduce skin disease must be adapted to farmworkers' understanding of such disease, including their beliefs or knowledge of risk factors for skin disease. Methods Structured by the Explanatory Models of Illness framework, this analysis uses a qualitative design based on in-depth interviews with 30 Latino farmworkers (6 females, 24 males) to determine beliefs and perceptions of the causes of common occupational skin diseases in this population. Computer assisted, systematic procedures are used to analyze the verbatim transcripts of these interviews. Results Skin disease is a major concern among farmworkers because it affects work, social interaction, and other aspects of their lives. Farmworker beliefs and perceptions of skin disease causation can be integrated into a general model in which perceived risk factors include sun and heat, chemicals, plants, insects, moisture, hygiene, and contagion. Each of these factors is moderated by the individual's personal susceptibility to that cause. The interaction or combination of two or more factors is thought to amplify their individual effects. Conclusions The farmworker model of skin disease causation suggests important content for health education to reduce skin disease among farmworkers. Am. J. Ind. Med. 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]