title: Hand eczema among University Hospital nursing staff: identification of high-risk sector and impact on quality of life.
abstract: 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.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Cheng-Che E
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Wen-Wei
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Yi-Wei
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Ching-Shuang
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Shih-Ting
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Hui-Yu
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Hsin-Su
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Ying-Chin
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Chien-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yi-Hsin
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Gwo-Shing
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D009783:Dermatitis, Occupational / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004485:Eczema / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006229:Hand Dermatoses / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011336:Probability; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology