The correlation between self-reported hand eczema and clinically based diagnosis in professional cleaners
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BACKGROUND: Most studies investigating the prevalence of hand eczema (HE) in professional cleaners use self-reported questionnaire-based data. However, no validation studies of self-reporting of HE among professional cleaners have previously been conducted.
OBJECTIVES: To investigate (1) the point prevalence of self-reported HE, (2) the point prevalence of HE estimated by physical examination of the hands and (3) the sensitivity and specificity of self-reporting of HE compared with the diagnosis based on physical examination among professional cleaners.
METHODS: Professional cleaners at three different hospitals in Region Zealand were invited to fill out a questionnaire. The point prevalence of self-reported HE was estimated based on questions from the Nordic Occupational Skin Questionnaire. After completing the questionnaire, each cleaner underwent a physical examination of the hands by a dermatologist on the same day.
RESULTS: In total, 234 cleaners were invited to participate in the study, and 224 (response rate = 96.0%) agreed to take part. Based on the self-reported questionnaires, 5.3% (n = 12) of the cleaners had current HE. Based on an examination by a physician, 19.2% (n = 43) of the cleaners had current HE. The sensitivity of self-reported HE was found to be 28.0%, while the specificity was found to be 100.0%. The positive predictive value was found to be 100.0%, while the negative predictive value was 85.0%.
CONCLUSION: The true point prevalence of HE among professional cleaners is underestimated when based on self-reporting.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Contact Dermatitis |
Volume | 91 |
Issue number | 2 |
Pages (from-to) | 104-111 |
Number of pages | 8 |
ISSN | 0105-1873 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2024 |
Bibliographical note
© 2024 The Author(s). Contact Dermatitis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
ID: 394593854