Occupational skin disease in Sweden--a 12-year follow-up.
The aim of this project was to study the long-term prognosis of occupational skin diseases in Sweden. In 1999, a questionnaire was sent to 623/655 individuals who in 1987 reported occupational skin disease to the Social Insurance Office. 394 answered the questionnaire, and 123 non-responders were interviewed by telephone, giving 517 participants (83%), 323 females and 194 males. 85% reported skin symptoms after 1987, 70% during the previous year. 28% considered themselves recovered, of those with nickel allergy only 12%. In a logistic regression model, skin atopy was the strongest unfavourable factor for the prognosis followed by contact allergy and female sex. 66% had consulted a doctor after 1987 and the majority, 82%, had performed occupational changes - most common was change of jobs, 44%. Those who had changed jobs reported less sick leave. The conclusion is that occupational skin diseases have a clear tendency to end up as chronic conditions with a majority reporting symptoms at a 12-year follow-up. The skin disease had influenced the occupational situation for the majority (82%) and for 15% resulted in exclusion from the labour market through unemployment or disability pension.
Meding
B
B
Occupational Dermatology, National Institute for Working Life, Stockholm, Sweden. birgitta.meding@niwl.se
Lantto
R
R
Lindahl
G
G
Wrangsjö
K
K
Bengtsson
B
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002755:Choice Behavior; D009783:Dermatitis, Occupational / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006229:Hand Dermatoses / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010328:Patch Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D020127:Recovery of Function; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology