Skin Protection Seminars to Prevent Occupational Skin Diseases: Results of a Prospective Longitudinal Study in Apprentices of High-risk Professions

Abstract Background Occupational skin diseases (OSDs) are frequent in professions with exposure to skin hazards. Thus, a health educational intervention for apprentices of high-risk professions was conducted. It was the aim of this study to gain insight into possible effects of this intervention. Methods A one-time skin protection seminar was conducted in 140 apprentices of health-related and non-health–related professions [trained cohort (TC)]. In addition, 134 apprentices of the same occupations were monitored [untrained cohort (UTC)]. The OSD-specific knowledge and the skin condition of the hands were assessed at baseline (T0), after the seminar (T1), and after 6 (T2) and 12 months (T3). Results The OSD-specific knowledge increased in all cohorts from T0 to T3, but we found a significantly higher knowledge in the TC at T2 ( p p Conclusion The study indicates that an educational intervention may positively influence the disease-specific knowledge and the prevalence of OSD in apprentices. However, definite conclusions cannot be drawn because of the heterogeneous study cohorts and the study design. Future research should aim at tailoring primary prevention to specific target groups, e.g., in view of the duration and frequency of skin protection education, different professions, and gender-specific prevention approaches.