<Original Article> Hand Dermatitis and Musculoskeletal Disorders among Female Nursing Students in Japan

The prevalence of hand dermatitis and musculoskeletal disorders among Japanese nursing students was investigated by means of a self-reported questionnaire. Slightly more than one-third of them (34.2%) suffered hand dermatitis in the previous 12-month period, with the current prevalence marginally lower at 30.4%. Low back pain was the most common musculoskeletal disorder, with 16.5% currently and 17.7% previously experiencing such symptoms. Shoulder and neck pain was reported by 10.1% and 7.6% respectively. Previous employment as a hospital nurse or nursing assistant was found to be an important risk factor for hand dermatitis (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.4-12.1, P<0.05). Conversely, the presence of allergy decreased the risk of musculoskeletal disorders 5-fold (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.0-0.7, P<0.05). Overall, the Japanese nursing students within this study experienced hand dermatitis and musculoskeletal disorders at reasonably low levels, particularly when compared to other international reports.