In order to prevent the nosocomial transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, it has become necessary for health workers to increase their use of personal protective equipment (PPE). The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence and influencing factors for adverse skin reactions (ASR) due to occupational PPE use among nursing staff in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study uses a mixed methods design. A focus group was created with experts from the field of healthcare, and an online survey was then carried out among nursing staff. Influencing factors were identified using multivariate logistic regression via odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A total of 2274 nursing staff took part in the survey, with 1967 included in the analysis. The prevalence of ASR was 61%, with 94% affecting at least one area of the face. Statistically significant factors of influence were Filtering Face Peace (FFP) mask wearing duration of ≥4 h, a history of contact allergies, and being female and young. A pre-existing skin disease had a protective effect. The prevalence of PPE-related ASR underlines the necessity for targeted preventive measures for nursing staff during pandemic situation.
The Lufthansa Prevention Study (LUPS) study is a prospective observation of a healthy worker cohort to identify early changes in metabolism leading to the Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) and to analyze their relation to behavioral factors like nutrition, physical activity, psychological status, and to underlying genetic conditions. The LUPS study recruited a sample of 1.962 non-diabetic healthy adults between 25–60 years, employed at a flight base of Lufthansa Technik GmbH in Hamburg, Germany. Baseline assessments included anthropometric measures, blood and urine samples and medical history. Psychosocial variables, dietary habits and life-style risk factors were assessed via self-reported questionnaires.In this report we describe the study design and present baseline parameters including the prevalence of the MetS using different classification criteria. The MetS was present in 20% of male and 12% of female subjects according to the ‘Harmonizing the metabolic syndrome’ definition. The prevalence varies between 2.6% in male and 2.3% in female subjects up to 48% in male and 41% in female subjects according to different classification criteria of MetS.In conclusion, this first cross-sectional view on the LUPS data confirms the expectation that this cohort is rather healthy and thus provides the opportunity to analyze early changes associated with the development of the MetS. The LUPS study is registered as a clinical trial NCT01313156.
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