- Title
- Exploration of associations between occupational exposures and current adult eczema
- Creator
- Lopez, Diego; Alif, Sheikh; Dharmage, Shyamali; Lodge, Caroline; Bui, Dinh; Le Moual, Nicole; Waidyatillake, Nilakshi; Su, John; Abramson, Michael; Walters, E.; Hamilton, Garun; Bowatte, Gayan; Erbas, Bircan; Benke, Geza; Perret, Jennifer; Lowe, Adrian
- Date
- 2023
- Type
- Text; Journal article
- Identifier
- http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/198047
- Identifier
- vital:18983
- Identifier
-
https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2023-108950
- Identifier
- ISSN:1351-0711 (ISSN)
- Abstract
- Objectives There is a scarcity of evidence on occupational exposures that may increase eczema in adults. We aimed to investigate potential associations between occupational exposures and eczema in middle-aged adults. Methods A lifetime work history calendar was collected from the Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study participants when they were at age 53. Their work history was collated with the occupational asthma-specific job exposure matrix to define ever-exposure and cumulative exposure unit-years since no eczema job exposure matrix is available. Eczema was determined using the report of flexural rash that was coming and going for at least 6 months in the last 12 months. Skin prick tests were used to further subgroup eczema and atopic eczema (AE) or non-AE (NAE). Logistic and multinomial regression models were used to investigate the associations. Results Eczema prevalence was 9.1%. Current occupational exposure to animals (adjusted OR, aOR=3.06 (95% CI 1.43 to 6.58)), storage mites (aOR=2.96 (95% CI 1.38 to 6.34)) and endotoxin (aOR=1.95 (95% CI 1.04 to 3.64)) were associated with increased risk of current eczema. Furthermore, increased odds of NAE were associated with current exposure to animals (aOR=5.60 (95% CI 1.45 to 21.7)) and storage mites (aOR=5.63 (95% CI 1.45 to 21.9)). Current exposures to isocyanates (aOR=5.27 (95% CI 1.17 to 23.7)) and acrylates (aOR=8.41 (95% CI 1.60 to 44.3)) were associated with AE. There was no evidence of associations between cumulative exposures and eczema prevalence. Cumulative exposure to metalworking fluids (aOR=1.10 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.22)) was associated with NAE and acrylates (aOR=1.24 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.46)) with AE. Conclusions In this exploratory assessment, multiple occupational exposures were associated with current eczema in middle-aged adults. Raising awareness and limiting these exposures during an individual's productive working life will likely have various health benefits, including reducing eczema prevalence. © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.
- Publisher
- BMJ Publishing Group
- Relation
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine Vol. 80, no. 10 (2023), p. 564-571
- Rights
- All metadata describing materials held in, or linked to, the repository is freely available under a CC0 licence
- Rights
- Copyright © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023
- Subject
- 3505 Human resources and industrial relations; 4202 Epidemiology; 4206 Public health; Allergy and immunology; Dermatology; Occupational health
- Reviewed
- Funder
- This work was supported by: National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia (research grants 299901 and 1021275); the University of Melbourne, Clifford Craig Medical Research Trust of Tasmania; the Victorian, Queensland and Tasmanian Asthma Foundations; Royal Hobart Hospital; Helen MacPherson Smith Trust; GlaxoSmithKline and John L Hopper. DJL was supported by the University of Melbourne and Becas Carlos Antonio Lopez scholarship.
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