Prevalence and Occupational Risk Factors of Glove-Induced Hand Dermatitias Among Healthcare Workers in A Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Background:
Occupational hand dermatitis is a very common and poorly recognised issue among healthcare workers that is thought to be tied mainly to prolonged glove use, wet work and repetition of hand hygiene practices. Continuous exposure to glove materials, such as latex and rubber additives, can compromise the integrity of the skin barrier, increasing susceptibility to irritant and allergic contact dermatitis.

Objectives:
To estimate prevalence with glove contact-induced dermatitis in healthcare workers, and to specify occupational factors that correlate with severity of symptomatic expression.

Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Chennai with 373 healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, laboratory personnel, and healthcare students. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to gather information on sociodemographic characteristics, glove use patterns, and dermatological symptoms. The data was summarized using descriptive statistics, and the Chi-square test was used to determine associations between occupational variables and symptom burden. A p-value <0.05 indicated statistical significance.

Results:
The study included 373 healthcare workers, 72.9% of whom were females, with the majority (71.3%) falling between the ages of 20 and 30. The overall prevalence of glove-induced dermatitis was 11.5%. The most common dermatological symptoms reported were dry skin (30%) and itching (26%), followed by redness (12%) and cracked skin (10%). Almost half of the participants (49.9%) reported using multiple types of gloves, with 40.2% wearing gloves for 2-4 hours per day. A significant correlation was found between professional category and symptom burden (p < 0.0001), with doctors reporting the highest proportion of symptoms. Weekly working hours were also significantly associated with symptom severity (p = 0.003), indicating an increased risk for those with longer occupational exposure.

Conclusion:
Glove-induced hand dermatitis is a common occupational health concern among healthcare workers, especially those who wear gloves for long periods of time and work long hours. Implementing preventive strategies such as appropriate glove selection, skin care education, and occupational exposure monitoring may help to reduce the prevalence of occupational dermatitis in healthcare settings.