2. SUBJECTS AND METHODS
Data were collected between January and
September 2007. The study was conducted in
Poland on
· 581 healthcare workers, in five hospitals;
· 181 metal factory workers in a metal plant and
in two railway works;
· 91 food services workers in 52 small and
middle-sized enterprises (SMEs);
· 69 textile workers in 45 SMEs;
· 210 hair stylists and beauticians in SMEs;
· 90 cleaners in SMEs.
Verbal consent from each participant was
obtained.
We compiled and used a questionnaire for
collecting self-reported data on assessing
skin condition, partly based on the Nordic
Occupational Skin Questionnaire NOSQ-20021
developed by a Nordic group for OSD research
and prevention of hand dermatoses in practice
[19]. This questionnaire, still used in projects in
Nordic countries and elsewhere, recommends
using self-reports on the condition of the skin of
hands and/or forearms for estimating the scale of
CD in populations.
So for collecting data on the prevalence of
OSDs a questionnaire based on workersʼ selfreported
diagnoses, seemed to be a good tool.
Our questionnaire was a shorter, modified
version of NOSQ. The information collected
from self-reported estimation, primarily depends
on the definition of signs or symptoms of a
disease and these were specified.