Abstract：
BACKGROUND: Hand eczema (HE) is a prevalent disease among professional cleaners.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate how often cleaners have their self-reported HE, induced or worsened by cleaners\' occupational activities, reported as an occupational disease to the authorities in Denmark and to identify reasons for underreporting. In addition, consultation by physicians and treatment for HE among cleaners were also investigated.
METHODS: This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study included hospital cleaners at three different hospitals in Region Zealand, Denmark.
RESULTS: We included 224 out of 234 cleaners from three hospitals (response rate: 96%). The lifetime prevalence of self-reported HE with onset in adulthood was 18.3% (n = 41), with cleaners believing every case to be caused or exacerbated by their occupation. Only 9.7% (n = 4/41) of the cases were reported as an occupational disease to the authorities. The most common reasons for non-reporting were a lack of perceived seriousness of the disease (40.5%) and unawareness of the risk of self-reported HE being of occupational origin (32.4%). Remarkably, only 75.7% (n = 28/37) of workers with unreported cases had consulted a physician at some point. Additionally, among cleaners who self-reported HE attributed or aggravated by their occupation, but not officially reported as such, only 56.8% (n = 21/37) had ever used hand moisturisers, while less than 45% had ever used topical steroids or calcineurin inhibitors.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal substantial underreporting of self-reported HE, perceived to be induced or worsened by the cleaner\'s occupational activities, as an occupational disease to the authorities.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate how often cleaners have their self-reported HE, induced or worsened by cleaners\' occupational activities, reported as an occupational disease to the authorities in Denmark and to identify reasons for underreporting. In addition, consultation by physicians and treatment for HE among cleaners were also investigated.
METHODS: This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study included hospital cleaners at three different hospitals in Region Zealand, Denmark.
RESULTS: We included 224 out of 234 cleaners from three hospitals (response rate: 96%). The lifetime prevalence of self-reported HE with onset in adulthood was 18.3% (n = 41), with cleaners believing every case to be caused or exacerbated by their occupation. Only 9.7% (n = 4/41) of the cases were reported as an occupational disease to the authorities. The most common reasons for non-reporting were a lack of perceived seriousness of the disease (40.5%) and unawareness of the risk of self-reported HE being of occupational origin (32.4%). Remarkably, only 75.7% (n = 28/37) of workers with unreported cases had consulted a physician at some point. Additionally, among cleaners who self-reported HE attributed or aggravated by their occupation, but not officially reported as such, only 56.8% (n = 21/37) had ever used hand moisturisers, while less than 45% had ever used topical steroids or calcineurin inhibitors.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal substantial underreporting of self-reported HE, perceived to be induced or worsened by the cleaner\'s occupational activities, as an occupational disease to the authorities.
摘要：
背景：手部湿疹（HE）是专业清洁工中普遍存在的疾病。
目的：调查清洁工有多少次自我报告HE，由清洁工职业活动引起或恶化，作为职业病向丹麦当局报告，并查明漏报的原因。此外,还调查了清洁工中医生的咨询和HE的治疗。
方法：这项基于问卷调查的横断面研究包括新西兰地区三家不同医院的医院清洁工，丹麦。
结果：我们纳入了来自三家医院的234名清洁工中的224名（反应率：96％）。在成年期发病的自我报告HE的终生患病率为18.3％（n=41），清洁工认为每一种情况都是由他们的职业引起或加剧的。只有9.7％（n=4/41）的病例被报告为职业病。未报告的最常见原因是缺乏对疾病严重性的感知（40.5％）和对自我报告的HE是职业起源的风险的认识（32.4％）。值得注意的是,在未报告病例的工作者中,只有75.7%(n=28/37)曾咨询过医生.此外,在自我报告因其职业而被归因于或加重的清洁工中，但没有正式报道，只有56.8%(n=21/37)曾经使用过手润肤霜，而不到45%的人曾使用过局部类固醇或钙调磷酸酶抑制剂。
结论：我们的研究结果表明，自我报告的HE存在大量漏报，被认为是由清洁工的职业活动引起或恶化的，对当局来说是一种职业病。
目的：调查清洁工有多少次自我报告HE，由清洁工职业活动引起或恶化，作为职业病向丹麦当局报告，并查明漏报的原因。此外,还调查了清洁工中医生的咨询和HE的治疗。
方法：这项基于问卷调查的横断面研究包括新西兰地区三家不同医院的医院清洁工，丹麦。
结果：我们纳入了来自三家医院的234名清洁工中的224名（反应率：96％）。在成年期发病的自我报告HE的终生患病率为18.3％（n=41），清洁工认为每一种情况都是由他们的职业引起或加剧的。只有9.7％（n=4/41）的病例被报告为职业病。未报告的最常见原因是缺乏对疾病严重性的感知（40.5％）和对自我报告的HE是职业起源的风险的认识（32.4％）。值得注意的是,在未报告病例的工作者中,只有75.7%(n=28/37)曾咨询过医生.此外,在自我报告因其职业而被归因于或加重的清洁工中，但没有正式报道，只有56.8%(n=21/37)曾经使用过手润肤霜，而不到45%的人曾使用过局部类固醇或钙调磷酸酶抑制剂。
结论：我们的研究结果表明，自我报告的HE存在大量漏报，被认为是由清洁工的职业活动引起或恶化的，对当局来说是一种职业病。
