Hand eczema among University Hospital nursing staff: identification of high-risk sector and impact on quality of life.

BACKGROUND

Hand eczema is a commonly encountered occupational disease and has a negative impact on life quality.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to identify the specific conditions that may pose a higher risk for occurrence of hand eczema and evaluate the impact of hand eczema on life quality.

METHOD

Nursing staff from a university hospital were invited to participate in a cross-sectional study. Validated questionnaires for hand eczema and life quality were used to evaluate the point prevalence and determine the impacts of hand eczema, respectively.

RESULTS

The overall response rate was 93%, equivalent to 1132 completed questionnaires. Two hundred and forty-eight (22%) reported occurrence of hand eczema. Occurrence of hand eczema was significantly associated with nursing for >10 years and working in a special care unit, with prevalences of 27% and 26%, respectively. In addition, hand eczema was associated with suboptimal life quality; pruritus or burning sensations were associated with a lower quality of life among those with hand eczema.

CONCLUSION

Hand eczema is a work-related problem for nursing staff; proper preventive programmes should be implemented for those nursing staff working in high-risk areas to avoid further lowering of their quality of life.