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Do young adults with atopic dermatitis avoid harmful workplace exposure at their first job? A prospective cohort study

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Abstract

Purpose

Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) are at high risk of chronic hand eczema. In this prospective cohort study, we assessed the influence of pre-hire-onset AD on the first job choice. We also analysed the potential association between AD and usage of preventive measures in high-risk occupations.

Methods

Subjects (aged 19–24 years) who were followed from childhood until the second Study on Occupational Allergy Risks and indicated a job were included (n = 1566). We defined AD as doctor-diagnosed AD and symptoms of an itchy rash during the past 12 months before the study. Pre-hire-onset AD was having AD prior to the first job. Preventive measure usage was self-reported gloves use or use of ointment or moisturizer. We performed multiple imputations to deal with missing values and analysed associations using logistic regression models adjusted for several potential confounders.

Results

Risk categories of the first job did not differ between participants with pre-hire-onset AD and those without (odds ratio 1.05, 95 % confidence interval 0.59–1.87). AD status was not statistically significantly associated with usage of preventive measures (1.22, 0.56–2.64). Conversely, having received job counselling (2.76, 1.15–6.63) and a family history of AD (2.09, 1.01–4.31) were associated with a higher use of such measures.

Conclusion

We could not confirm a healthy hire effect in this cohort of young adults. Although subjects with AD in high-risk occupations do not seem to use more preventive measures than their non-affected peers, job counselling seems to be an effective approach to encourage secondary prevention.

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Abbreviations

ISAAC:

International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood

SOLAR:

Study on Occupational Allergy Risks

OR:

Odds ratio

SES:

Socio-economic status

AD:

Atopic dermatitis

SPT:

Skin prick test

AR:

Allergic rhinitis

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, and the China Scholarship Council (CSC).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology and Net Teaching Unit, Institute and Outpatient Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany

    Junxiang Wei, Jessica Gerlich, Doris Windstetter, Dennis Nowak & Katja Radon

  2. Pediatric Department, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany

    Christian Vogelberg

  3. Dr. v. Haunersches Kinderspital, University Hospital of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany

    Erika von Mutius & Doris Windstetter

  4. Institute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany

    Jon Genuneit & Gudrun Weinmayr

Authors
  1. Junxiang Wei
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  2. Jessica Gerlich
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  3. Christian Vogelberg
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  4. Erika von Mutius
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  5. Doris Windstetter
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  8. Dennis Nowak
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  9. Katja Radon
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Correspondence to Jessica Gerlich.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Ethical Committees of the Medical Faculty of the University of Dresden and the Bavarian Chamber of Physicians.

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Wei, J., Gerlich, J., Vogelberg, C. et al. Do young adults with atopic dermatitis avoid harmful workplace exposure at their first job? A prospective cohort study. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 89, 397–406 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-015-1078-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-015-1078-2

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