The Prevalence of Hand Eczema and Its Determinants Among Female Hairdressers: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Female hairdressers are exposed to various chemicals in their occupation which may lead to skin problems such as hand eczema.This study aimed to determine the one-year prevalence of hand eczema and its risk factors in a sample of Northwest Iranian female hairdressers in 2015.

This study was a cross-sectional investigation in which 385 female hairdressers and 385 women from general population were selected as case and control, respectively.The prevalence of one-year hand eczema was obtained by Nordic occupationl skin questionnaireusing face-to-face interview. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (chi-square, independent t-test and logistic regression in SPSS software version 19).

The mean and standard deviation of age and work experience of hairdressers were 33.16 ± 7.2 and 8.72 ± 5.7 years, respectively.The prevalence of one-year hand eczema in hairdressers and control group were 27.8% (95%CI=23.22 -32.22) and 13.2% (95%CI=9.02-15.58), respectively. The Odds Ratio (OR) for hand eczema in the hairdressers was 2.52 (95%CI=1.72-3.64), compared to the control group as the reference. Using logistic regression analysis smoking habit [OR=3.44 (95%CI=1.73-6.85)],age less than 30 years [OR=1.76 (95%CI=1.04-2.96)] and working experience less than10 years [OR=3.14 (95%CI=1.63-6.04)]were independent risk factors for reporting one-year prevalence of hand eczema

Female hairdressers were more likely to be at risk of developing hand eczema compared to general population. Smoking habit, younger age, and less work experience were the significant risk factors of hand eczema in hairdressers. Occupational health interventions should consider these factors in the control of hand eczema in hairdressers.