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.'