Hand dermatoses and sick-leave: relationship between educational level, physical activity at work and housework as...

In parallel with a coronary risk factor survey in northern Norway, 14,667 men and women answered questions concerning health, life style, and social background. The occurrence of hand dermatoses varied only slightly within groups with different educational level and groups with different physical activity at work. Women with housework as their main occupation had a somewhat higher frequency of hand dermatoses than employed women. Sick leave due to hand dermatoses was 4-5 times more frequent in both sexes in less educated compared to highly educated individuals, and more frequent in men and women with physically active jobs. These differences may partly reflect differences in the over-all frequency of sick leave.