Incidence of skin and respiratory diseases among Danish hairdressing apprentices.

BACKGROUND

Hairdressing is one of the professions with the highest risk of occupational skin and respiratory diseases. The incidence of these diseases in hairdressing apprentices has been studied only sparsely.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the incidence of skin and respiratory diseases in hairdressing apprentices, and to explore whether hairdressing apprentices leave the trade during training because of these diseases.

METHODS

A 3-year follow-up questionnaire study was conducted among 248 hairdressing apprentices and a control group comprising 816 young adults from the general population.

RESULTS

The incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for contact urticaria (IRR 4.7, 95%CI: 2.6-8.6), hand eczema (IRR 1.7, 95%CI: 1.1-2.6) and rhinitis symptoms (IRR 1.6, 95%CI: 1.2-2.2) were significantly increased in the hairdressing apprentices, whereas wheezing was similar between groups. During the follow-up period, 21.8% of the hairdressing apprentices had left the trade, and 70.3% of these had left because of health complaints. The most frequently reported reasons for leaving were musculoskeletal pain (47.4%) and skin diseases (47.4%), followed by respiratory symptoms (23.7%).

CONCLUSIONS

Hairdressing apprentices are at increased risk for contact urticaria, hand eczema and rhinitis symptoms compared with the general population, and a substantial proportion leave the trade because of these diseases, causing a 'healthy worker survivor effect.'