Health Care Utilization of Workers with Skin Disease in Inchon

Ahn, Yeon Soon; Song, Jae Seok; Won, Jong Uk; Roh, Jaehoon

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
This study was carried out to identify relation of health care utilization due to skin disease(ICD-10, L00-L99) and characteristics(sex, age, exposure status, type of industry, size of enterprise) of workers.
METHODS
We made new database composed of 30,536 workers' health examination
results
in one specific health examination institute in Inchon and data of medical insurance utilization due to skin disease in 4 medical insurance associations for enterprise from January, 1995 to December, 1997. And we analyzed determinants of health care utilization due to skin disease of workers.
RESULTS
Among 30,536 study subjects, 8,837(28.9%) workers and 4,181(13.7%) workers utilized medical insurance due to total skin disease(ICD-10, L00-L99) and contact dermatitis(ICD-10, L23-L25), respectively. Female workers(p<.001), workers exposed to organic solvents(p<.05), workers in manufacturing industries(p<.05, p<.01, respectively) and in large scale enterprises(p<.001) utilized more medical insurance due to total skin disease and contact dermatitis than male workers, workers not exposed to organic solvents, workers in non-manufacturing industries and small scale enterprises. With multiple logistic regression analysis, significant explanatory variables affecting workers' medical utilization due to total skin disease and dermatitis and eczema(ICD-10, L20-L30) in total workers were sex, age, specific chemicals and size of enterprises. And age, type of industries, organic solvents, specific chemicals and size of enterprises were significant explanatory variables related to medical insurance utilization due to dermatitis and eczema and contact dermatitis in male workers.
CONCLUSION
From the above results, we found that workers exposed to organic solvents utilized more medical insurance due to skin disease than workers not exposed to. And, comparing to workers in large scale enterprises, workers in small scale enterprises may have unmet medical care utilization due to skin disease. Therefore we have to establish counterplan to manage occupational skin disease of high risk group(organic solvent exposure group) and to satisfy unmet medical care utilization of workers in small scale enterprises.