Epidemiological Profile of Dermatosis among Automobile Repair and Maintenance Garages in the City of Parakou in 2020

Background: Occupational dermatoses, also called occupational dermatitis or occupational dermatitis, are very common in the workplace and are still a topical subject. All over the world, especially in developed countries. They handicap the professional activities of the workers. Purpose: To determine the epidemiological profile of dermatosis among automobile repair and maintenance garages in Parakou. Methods: It was a cross-sectional and descriptive study carried out from 20 April to 17 May 2020. The sampling method was non-probabilistic. Data collected from a questionnaire, clinical examination and worksite observation were analyzed with Epi Info 7.2.2.1 software. Results: The participation rate was 98.08%. The sex ratio (male/female) was 178. The mean age of the respondents was 25.80 ± 10.22 years. Respondents with less than 5 years of experience in the field were 61.22%. Mechanics were the most numerous. In the sample, 95.81% had frequent skin contact with fuels, 84.08% had contact with motor oils and 15.92% had contact with dilute battery electrolyte solutions. The frequency of dermatosis was 73.46%. Hands and wrists were the most affected seats (47.35%). Some (33.84%) wore them before the start of the activity in the garage but in 66.22% of them, the dermatosis had occurred because of their arrival in the garage. Among these skin diseases, keratoderma predominated at 80.01%. Conclusion: Dermatosis is very common among garage owners in Parakou.