Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the skin health promotion program based on the health promotion model (HPM) to reduce hand eczema (HE) symptom severity and improve skin health behavior in young hairdressers and barber apprentices.
Design and Methods: The study was designed as pretest-posttest quasi-experimental control group research with repetitive measurements in the first-, third-, and sixth-month follow-up, which included 96 young workers (intervention = 48, control = 48). The program, as secondary prevention, consists of training with evidence-based recommendations, cognitive determinants, and practices to improve skin health behaviors.
Findings: The mean age of the young workers was 20.77 +/- 4.85 years. After the sixth month of intervention, total severity scores of HE symptoms in the intervention group were significantly decreased from 5.92 to 2.91. In addition, the frequency of skin health behaviors and cognitive factors showed statistically positive changes (p < .05).
Conclusions: The skin health promotion program based on HPM is effective in reducing HE symptoms and improving the skin health behaviors of young workers. Healthcare professionals, especially nurses, can use the HPM-based skin health program to improve skin health and psychological health resulting from skin disease symptoms in other specific skin diseases for their patients.