title: Self-reported Occupational Skin Exposure and Risk of Physician-certified Long-term Sick Leave: A Prospective Study of the General Working Population of Norway.
abstract: Little is known about the contribution of occupational skin exposure as a risk factor for physician-certified long-term sick leave in the general working population of Norway. This study drew a cohort (n = 12,255; response at baseline 69.9%) randomly from the general population of Norway. Occupational skin exposure (in 2009) was measured based on 5 items. The outcome of interest was physician-certified long-term sick leave ≥ 16 days during 2010. Statistical adjustment for psychosocial and mechanical occupational exposures was performed. Long-term sick leave was predicted by occupational skin exposure to cleaning products (odds ratio (OR) 1.7; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.1-2.5) and waste (OR 2.1; 95% CI 1.1-3.7) among men, and occupational skin exposure to water (OR 1.3; 95% CI 1.0-1.6) among women. The estimated population attributable risk for occupational skin exposure was 14.5%, which emphasizes its contribution as an important risk factor for long-term sick leave.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology, National Institute of Occupational Health, Pb 8149 Dep, N-0033 Oslo, Norway. jose.alfonso@stami.no.
authors.forename: Jose H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Alfonso
authors.forename: Tore
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tynes
authors.forename: Jacob P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Thyssen
authors.forename: Jan-Øivind
authors.initials: JØ
authors.lastname: Holm
authors.forename: Håkon A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Johannessen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007587:Job Description; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016272:Occupational Health; D009790:Occupations; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D012737:Sex Factors; D018582:Sick Leave; D013997:Time Factors; D014866:Waste Products / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014867:Water / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D014866:Waste Products; D014867:Water