PREVALENCE OF HAND DERMATOSES AMONG FINNISH FARMERS

OBJECTIVES - The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence an d risk factors of hand dermatosis among farmers. METHODS - A questionn aire survey was carried out in a geographically defined sample of the Finnish farming population between the ages of 18 and 64 years (N = 10 847). RESULTS - The one-year prevalence of self-reported hand and for earm dermatoses was 16% for the women and 7% for the men. These figure s were similar to the prevalence of hand eczema in two large Scandinav ian questionnaire surveys. The highest one-year prevalence of hand der matoses was found for women on farms with more than nine dairy cows (2 0%). Atopy (both the personal history of atopic dermatitis and respira tory atopy), female gender, and, among the women, also age under 35 ye ars were the most important risk factors for the occurrence of hand de rmatosis. Work-related risk factors were handling disinfectants daily, handling silage preservatives, milking cows, and machine servicing. C ONCLUSIONS - Occupational risk factors for hand dermatoses were found, especially for dairy farming. The results may be useful for the preve ntion of hand dermatoses in farming since they direct attention to rel ated occupational hazards, and they may also aid vocational guidance f or the atopic population. In order to lower the prevalence of hand der matoses in dairy farming, both preventive and protective measures shou ld become everyday practice in farming work.