Prevalence and Associated Factors of Hand Eczema among Nursing Staff after the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

A questionnaire survey was conducted to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of hand eczema among nursing staff working at a hospital. The inclusion criteria included the nursing staff assigned to outpatient or inpatient wards; nursing managers were excluded. The participants completed the questionnaire that included questions regarding factors such as hand washing and hand cream usage that are considered to affect hand eczema. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval were determined to identify risk factors for the development of hand eczema among the nursing staffs. Additionally, the usage of hand cream was compared between hand eczema and no-hand eczema groups. A total of 371 participants were analyzed, and hand eczema prevalence was 27%. Logistic regression analysis results revealed that the risk of hand eczema development considerably increased among the nursing staff with less than 15 years of relevant experience and atopic dermatitis. A higher OR for alcohol allergy and hand hygiene practices more than 40 times a day were observed; however, none of these differences were significant. In total, 71% of the participants in the hand eczema group used hand cream; however, they used it more often at home than at work. Thus, we concluded that hand eczema still remains a highly prevalent symptom among the nursing staff at our hospital and more resources should be made available for its preventive measures. The use of hand cream during work hours could potentially reduce the risk of hand eczema among the nursing staff working at our hospital.