What do patients with occupational hand eczema know about skin care?

Background The aim of the present study was to examine the knowledge of skin care and treatment of hand eczema (HE) in a sample of patients with newly reported occupational HE. Materials and methods A questionnaire consisting of 13 questions about knowledge of skin care and treatment of HE was sent to all patients with occupational HE reported to the National Board of Industrial Injuries in the period 1 January 2010 to 31 March 2010. Results Three hundred and seventy individuals, 269 females and 101 males, with a mean age of 39.9 years, responded to the questionnaire (response rate of 73%). The overall percentage of correct answers was 73%. Variables significantly influencing the level of knowledge were sex and age, with a need for more information in males and in patients above the age of 50 years. No significant influence of level of education, eczema activity, previous information about HE, previous or current atopic eczema or dermatology life quality index (DLQI) was found. Conclusion There is still potential for improvement of the level of knowledge among patients with occupational HE. Special attention should be paid to males and patients above the age of 50 years.