Article Text
Abstract
Objectives Self-reported hand eczema was previously found under-reported as an occupational disease to the authorities among Danish hairdressers graduating from 1985 to 2007. This study investigates whether self-reported hand eczema among Danish hairdressers graduating from 2008 to 2018 is under-reported as an occupational disease to the authorities.
Methods A cross-sectional study on all Danish hairdressers graduating from 2008 to 2018 was conducted. The participants were identified using information from the Danish Hairdressers’ and Beauticians’ Union. In May 2020, a self-administered survey on hand eczema was sent to all hairdressers.
Results A response rate of 30.7% (1485/4830) was obtained. The lifetime prevalence of self-reported hand eczema was 40.1%, and 84.1% of hairdressers with hand eczema believed it to be occupational of whom 27.0% answered it was reported as an occupational disease to the authorities. Of hairdressers believing their hand eczema was occupational, consulting a doctor and answering it was reported as an occupational disease, 94.4% had consulted a dermatologist. The main reason for not reporting was ‘I would probably not gain anything from it anyway’ (40.0%).
Conclusions Based on hairdressers’ perception, occupational hand eczema still seems to be an under-reported disease which may lead to underestimation of the problem and impair prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
- dermatology
- occupational health
- dermatitis, contact
- epidemiology
Data availability statement
No data are available. Data are not available on request due to Danish data protection legislation.
Statistics from Altmetric.com
Data availability statement
No data are available. Data are not available on request due to Danish data protection legislation.
Footnotes
Twitter @C_KursaweLarsen
Contributors CKL: writing original draft, formal analysis, conceptualisation and guarantor. MSH: critical review and editing and conceptualisation. JDJ: critical review and editing and conceptualisation.
Funding Unrestricted research grant from The Danish Hairdressers’ and Beauticians’ Union.
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
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