Prevalence and risk factors for hand eczema among professional hospital cleaners in Denmark: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study

Background Professional cleaners are commonly affected by hand eczema (HE) due to wet work and exposure to cleaning products in the work environment.Objective To investigate (1) the prevalence of HE in a group of professional hospital cleaners, (2) the association of HE with various comorbidities and self-reported signs/symptoms of skin lesions and (3) the association of HE with various occupational and personal risk factors in the same population.Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study including all cleaners working in three hospitals in Denmark. The questionnaire was composed of 35 questions. Prevalence is reported using proportions with 95% confidence intervals and compared using difference of proportions and Fisher's exact test.Results A total of 122 out of 180 cleaners (response rate = 68%) participated in this study. The self-reported lifetime prevalence of HE among the cleaners was 30.3%, while the 1-year prevalence was 18.9%. HE was significantly associated with a history of atopic diseases. There was a significant correlation between having HE, and self-reported redness and itch of the hands in the last 12 months, as well as the use of hydrochloric acid = 4 days/week during the last 12 months. Logistic regression analysis found HE significantly associated with washing hands = 20 times during a working day and a history of atopic dermatitis.Conclusion Cleaners are at an elevated risk of developing HE. More focus on education/information regarding the prevention and treatment of HE is necessary for the cleaning profession. Self-reported redness and itching of the hands may be a useful prediction of HE in cleaners.

Automated summary

This study investigated the prevalence of hand eczema (HE) and its association with comorbidities and self-reported symptoms among professional hospital cleaners. The results showed that the lifetime and 1-year prevalence of HE among cleaners were 30.3% and 18.9% respectively. HE was significantly associated with a history of atopic diseases, self-reported redness and itch of the hands in the last 12 months, and frequent use of hydrochloric acid. Cleaners are at an elevated risk of developing HE, and more education and information regarding prevention and treatment are necessary.