The Impact of Work-Related Rhinitis on Quality of Life and Work Productivity: A General Workforce-Based Survey

International audienceThe specific burden of work-related rhinitis (WRR) on quality of life (QoL) and work productivity has received little attention.Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate to what extent WRR affects QoL and work productivity as compared with subjects with rhinitis unrelated to work and those without rhinitis.Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted among workers randomly recruited at the time of their periodic occupational health visit in the French-speaking part of Belgium. The survey instruments consisted of rhinitis-specific and generic questionnaires: Mini-Rhinitis QoL Questionnaire, Medical Outcome Study Short Form-8, and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment-General Health questionnaire. Eligible participants were categorized into 3 groups: non-WRR (current nasal symptoms not related to work, n = 329); WRR (current rhinitis with ≥2 nasal symptoms at work, n = 161); and controls (no nasal symptom; n = 1155).Results: WRR showed significantly lower scores in all domains of the Mini-Rhinitis QoL Questionnaire compared with non-WRR. Multivariate analysis confirmed that WRR exerted an independent adverse effect on rhinitis-specific QoL. Both WRR and non-WRR were associated with greater impairment in the physical and mental health components of the Medical Outcome Study Short Form-8 instrument and the overall work productivity compared with controls, whereas these outcomes were more impacted in WRR than non-WRR. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that both WRR and non-WRR had an independent adverse impact on the physical and mental health status and overall work productivity.Conclusion: WRR has an incremental adverse impact on QoL and work productivity that should be addressed in order to reduce the global burden of rhinitis