title: Health inequalities according to plant size--comparison of small- and medium-sized enterprises.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Assessing plant size-related differences based on self-reported working conditions and their influence on perceived symptoms at workplace.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 799 metal workers from 9 small-sized enterprises (SE) and 10 medium-sized enterprises (ME) German metal working plants were interviewed in 2007/2008. Inclusion criteria were "wet work" and willingness to participate (response rate: 58% in ME, 67.7% in SE).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Workers in SE complained more often of hand eczema (20.2% vs 13.8%) whereas workers in ME more frequently reported breathing problems (4.2% vs 0.9%). Work safety was higher in ME.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The higher rate of skin impairment in SE might be explained by a lower level of work safety. However, the higher frequency of perceived respiratory symptoms in ME seems to contradict this assumption and except plant size there might exist another potential confounder, especially for breathing impairment.
authors.affiliation: Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baumeister
authors.forename: Wobbeke
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weistenhöfer
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Drexler
authors.forename: Birgitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kütting
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004485:Eczema / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008669:Metallurgy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011482:Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D057566:Self Report; D055815:Young Adult