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.