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Self‐reported skin symptoms and skin‐related quality of life among Latino immigrant poultry processing and other manual workers
Author(s) -
Quandt Sara A.,
Newman Jill C.,
PichardoGeisinger Rita,
Mora Dana C.,
Chen Haiying,
Feldman Steven R.,
Arcury Thomas A.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.22291
Subject(s) - medicine , immigration , indigenous , population , quality of life (healthcare) , environmental health , gerontology , multivariate analysis , demography , nursing , history , ecology , archaeology , sociology , biology
Background Manual labor employment occurs in environments with exposures likely to impact skin‐related quality of life (SRQOL). Objectives The objectives of this paper are to (1) document the dimensions of SRQOL, (2) examine its association with skin symptoms, and (3) identify the predictors of SRQOL in Latino manual workers. Methods A population‐based survey of 733 Latino manual workers obtained Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and skin symptoms in the prior year. Results Two‐thirds of workers were employed in production. Skin symptoms in prior year were reported by 23%. Impaired SRQOL was reported by 23%. In multivariate analyses, reduced SRQOL was associated with age, occupation, childhood indigenous language use, and experience of skin symptoms in the prior year. Conclusions Despite overall high SRQOL exposures in some immigrant occupational groups produce reduce SRQOL. This rural, immigrant population faces significant obstacles to obtaining dermatological care; efforts are needed to improve their SRQOL. Am. J. Ind. Med. 57:605–614, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.