Occupational hand eczema and/or contact urticaria: factors associated with change of profession or not remaining in the workforce

TY - JOUR

T1 - Occupational hand eczema and/or contact urticaria

T2 - factors associated with change of profession or not remaining in the workforce

AU - Carøe, Tanja K

AU - Ebbehøj, Niels E

AU - Bonde, Jens P

AU - Agner, Tove

N1 - © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PY - 2018/1

Y1 - 2018/1

N2 - BACKGROUND: Occupational hand eczema and/or contact urticaria may have social consequences such as change of profession or not remaining in the workforce.OBJECTIVES: To identify factors associated with job change in a cohort of participants with recognised occupational hand eczema/contact urticaria METHODS: A registry-based study including 2703 employees with recognised occupational hand eczema/contact urticaria in Denmark in 2010/2011. Four to five years later the participants received a follow-up questionnaire, comprising questions on current job situation (response rate 58.0%).RESULTS: At follow-up, 51.3% of the participants were no longer in the same profession. 32.5% had changed profession and 18.8% were no longer in employment. Change of profession was associated with young age, positive patch test, low educational level and severity of hand eczema/contact urticaria. With regard to specific professions, cleaning personnel changed profession significantly more often than other workers [71.4% (OR = 2.26)], health care workers significantly less often than other workers [34.0% (OR = 0.36)].CONCLUSION: Job change occurs frequently during the first years after recognition of occupational hand eczema/contact urticaria and more often among patients with positive patch test reactions, with severe hand eczema/contact urticaria. Whether job changes improve the prognosis of occupational hand eczema/contact urticaria remains to be established.

AB - BACKGROUND: Occupational hand eczema and/or contact urticaria may have social consequences such as change of profession or not remaining in the workforce.OBJECTIVES: To identify factors associated with job change in a cohort of participants with recognised occupational hand eczema/contact urticaria METHODS: A registry-based study including 2703 employees with recognised occupational hand eczema/contact urticaria in Denmark in 2010/2011. Four to five years later the participants received a follow-up questionnaire, comprising questions on current job situation (response rate 58.0%).RESULTS: At follow-up, 51.3% of the participants were no longer in the same profession. 32.5% had changed profession and 18.8% were no longer in employment. Change of profession was associated with young age, positive patch test, low educational level and severity of hand eczema/contact urticaria. With regard to specific professions, cleaning personnel changed profession significantly more often than other workers [71.4% (OR = 2.26)], health care workers significantly less often than other workers [34.0% (OR = 0.36)].CONCLUSION: Job change occurs frequently during the first years after recognition of occupational hand eczema/contact urticaria and more often among patients with positive patch test reactions, with severe hand eczema/contact urticaria. Whether job changes improve the prognosis of occupational hand eczema/contact urticaria remains to be established.

KW - Adolescent

KW - Adult

KW - Age Factors

KW - Career Choice

KW - Denmark

KW - Dermatitis, Allergic Contact/diagnosis

KW - Dermatitis, Occupational/diagnosis

KW - Educational Status

KW - Female

KW - Hand Dermatoses/diagnosis

KW - Humans

KW - Male

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Occupations/statistics & numerical data

KW - Patch Tests

KW - Registries

KW - Severity of Illness Index

KW - Surveys and Questionnaires

KW - Unemployment/statistics & numerical data

KW - Urticaria/diagnosis

KW - Young Adult

U2 - 10.1111/cod.12869

DO - 10.1111/cod.12869

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 29076572

SN - 0105-1873

VL - 78

SP - 55

EP - 63

JO - Contact Dermatitis

JF - Contact Dermatitis

IS - 1

ER -