Abstract
Occupational skin diseases and disorders (OSDs) are the most commonly reported non-trauma-related (acute or cumulative) category of occupational illnesses in the United States. This factor, along with their potential chronicity, their effect on an individual's vocational and avocational activities, and the fact that they are preventable, point out the public health importance of OSDs. It can be difficult to obtain accurate epidemiological data for OSDs in the US, and all sources have their limitations. OSD cases that result in days away from work are important categories to study, since days away from work may be used as an indicator of the severity of a case. Descriptive epidemiology may be used to provide further information on these "more severe" cases, to determine, for example, high-risk industries, occupations, and exposures, and then to use this information to target the high-risk, "more severe" cases for prevention strategies. The goal of the US Public Health Service for the year 2010, as established in its "Healthy People 2010: National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives", is to reduce national OSDs to an incidence of no more than 46 per 100,000 full-time workers. Both irritant and allergic contact dermatitis are considered to be priority research areas as outlined in the National Occupational Research Agenda introduced in 1996 by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Increased knowledge and awareness of occupational skin diseases will assist in the achievement of the national public health goals.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Behrens V, Seligman P, Cameron L, et al. (1994) The prevalence of back pain, hand discomfort, and dermatitis in the U.S. working population. Am J Public Health 84:1780–1785
Biddle J, Roberts K, Rosenman KD, et al. (1998) What percentage of workers with work-related illnesses receive workers' compensation benefits? J Occup Environ Med 40:325–331
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) (1999) Occupational Injuries and Illnesses in the United States, bulletin 2518. US Department of Labor
Burnett CA, Lushniak BD, McCarthy W, et al. (1998) Occupational dermatitis causing days away from work in US private industry. Am J Ind Med 34:568–573
Courtney TK, Webster BS (1999) Disabling occupational morbidity in the United States. J Occup Environ Med 41:60–69
Downing JG (1939) Cutaneous eruptions among industrial workers—a review of two thousand cases for compensation. Arch Dermatol Syphilol 39:12–32
Kaufman JD, Cohen MA, Sama SR, et al. (1998) Occupational skin diseases in Washington state, 1989 through 1993: Using workers' compensation data to identify cutaneous hazards. Am J Public Health 88:1047–1051
Lushniak BD (1995) The epidemiology of occupational contact dermatitis. Dermatol Clin 13:671–680
Lushniak BD (1997) The public health impact of irritant contact dermatitis. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am 17:345–358
Mathias CGT (1985) The cost of occupational skin disease. Arch Dermatol 121:332–334
Mathias CGT (1988) Occupational dermatoses. J Am Acad Dermatol 6:1107–1114
Mathias CGT (1990) Prevention of occupational contact dermatitis. J Am Acad Dermatol 23:742–748
Mathias CGT, Sinks TH, Seligman PJ, et al. (1990) Surveillance of occupational skin diseases: a method utilizing workers' compensation claims. Am J Ind Med 17:363–370
National Center for Health Statistics (1999) Healthy People 2010. DHHS Publication (draft). US Department of Health and Human Services, Hyattsville
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) (1975) National Occupational Survey—pilot study for development of an occupational disease surveillance method. HEW publication (NIOSH). US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Rockville, pp 75–162
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) (1988) Proposed national strategy for the prevention of leading work-related diseases and injuries—dermatological conditions. DHHS publication (NIOSH). US Department of Health and Human Services, Cincinnati, pp 89–136
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) (1996 National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA). DHHS publication (NIOSH). US Department of Health and Human Services, Cincinnati, pp 96–115
Ohio Department of Health (1995) Occupational health issues in Ohio, no. 13
Oleinick A, Guire KE, Hawthorne VM, et al. (1993) Current methods in estimating severity for occupational injuries and illnesses: data from the 1986 Michigan Comprehensive Compensable Injury and Illness Database. Am J Ind Med 23:231–252
Oregon Health Division (1993) A new program to reduce occupational dermatitis in Oregon (CD summary). Center for Disease Prevention and Epidemiology, Oregon Health Division, 42, no. 21
Taylor JS (1988) Occupational disease statistics—in perspective. Arch Dermatol 124:1557–1558
Wang CL (1979) Occupational skin disease continues to plague industry. Monthly Labor Rev 102:17–22
Acknowledgments
Funding support: this article fits the description in the US Copyright Act of 1976 of a "US government work." It was written as a part of my official duties as a government officer. Therefore, it cannot be copyrighted. Portions of this chapter were previously published as US government works.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Paper presented at the Occupational Skin Care Management State-of-the-Art Conference, 1–3 September 2000, Zurich
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lushniak, B.D. The importance of occupational skin diseases in the United States. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 76, 325–330 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-002-0417-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-002-0417-2