P144 Does a potential healthy worker survivor effect bias the association between occupational skin exposure and skin problems? a three-year follow-up study of the general working population of norway. (1st September 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Alfonso, Jose Hernan; Tynes, Tore; Johannessen, Håkon A
• Is Part Of: Occupational and environmental medicine. Volume 73(2016)Supplement 1
• Page Start: A168
• Page End: A169
• Publication Date: 2016-09-01
• Subjects: Medicine, Industrial -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; 616.980305
• DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2016-103951.461
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1351-0711

Abstract

Abstract : Background: In a 3-year follow-up study of the general working population of Norway, we have previously reported evidence of an association between self-reported occupational skin exposure and skin problems. However, such association was weaker for responders reporting exposure only at baseline (2006), compared to those reporting exposure at follow-up (2009). Therefore, we aimed to assess whether the occurrence of skin problems at baseline influenced response frequency at follow-up leading to a potential healthy worker survivor effect. Methods: The cohort comprised respondents drawn randomly from the general population of Norway, who were registered employed in 2006 and 2009 (n = 6, 745), and participated in the nationwide Survey of Living Conditions-Work environment (Statistics Norway). Associations between baseline indicators (sex, age, education, occupation, and occurrence of skin problems) with response frequency at follow-up were assessed by Chi-square tests and unconditional logistic regression. The level for significance was set to p < .05 (95% CI) Results: The response frequency for women was higher at follow-up. For both age and education, response frequency at follow-up increased incrementally with older ages and higher levels of education. For occupation, the lowest response frequency was among elementary occupations (61.5%), plant-machine operators and assemblers (65.3%), and craft-related trade workers (71.0%). We found no evidence of an association between the occurrence of skin problems at baseline and response frequency at follow-up. Conclusion: Overall, age, sex, education, and occupation seems to be the most important predictors of response frequency at follow-up. The occurrence of skin problems among participants at baseline seems to have little impact on the response frequency at follow-up, which provide little support to a healthy worker survivor effect. Future studies should assess for a potential healthy worker hire effect (healthy worker effect before recruitment).