Occupational exposure as a risk factor for cognitive impairment in Vietnamese nail salon workers

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundNail salon technicians are continuously exposed to neurotoxic and carcinogenic properties in nail products that may put them at risk for central nervous system impairments linked to Alzheimer’s disease. However, there are very few studies of the nail‐care workplace, and even fewer focus on Vietnamese female nail technicians, who make up the overwhelming part of the workforce. This study provides preliminary data on clinical assessments that will inform the cognitive functioning of a vulnerable population.MethodSample includes 300 Vietnamese females aged 50 or above in Northern California. The nail‐technician group (n=155) self‐identified as a current or former full or part‐time nail technician. The non‐nail group (n=145) are those who have never worked in the cosmetic industry, including nail or hair salons, but were an approximate match with the nail technicians on demographics and acculturation variables. Participants completed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES‐D), and a self‐reported bilingual survey regarding their occupational exposure and demographics.ResultThe average MoCA score was 18.8 (SD ±4.50) for non‐nail technicians, which is significantly higher than 17.60 (SD ±4.30) for nail technicians (p = 0.017). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups on the average CES‐D score (p = 0.22). Based on results of multiple linear regression, with an increase of 100 in exposure index (i.e., years working in current nail salon x hours worked per week), the MoCA score is expected to decrease by 0.29 (95% CI: 0.05, 0.53, p = 0.017).ConclusionAfter adjusting for potential confounders, Vietnamese nail technicians were found to have lower cognitive functioning that those without occupational exposure to nail salon work. The results of this study suggest the need for future longitudinal research to better elucidate the processes underlying this association.