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

Background The 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.