ABSTRACT
Background: Health care workers (HCWs) need to perform new preventive measures to protect themselves and patients against ongoing COVID-19 transmission, which can increase the occurrence of hand dermatitis (HD) among them. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of HD among HCWs and its possible risk factors in IRAN. Methods: A survey of 159 HCWS working in university hospitals was performed between August to September 2020. Research data were collected via the standardized Nordic Occupational Skin Questionnaire (NOSQ-2002). Results: The prevalence of HD in the study population was 51.6%. Females had a 3.84 fold higher risk of HD than males (confidence interval (CI): 1.85-8). HCWs older than 40 years and those who aged 30-39 years had a 9.6 and 1.72 fold higher risk of HD than HCWs aged 20-29 years (CI: 2.6-35.7; CI: 0.87-3.4, respectively). A significant association was found between the prevalence of HD among HCWs and working hours per week, and wearing gloves (P<0.05). Conclusion: Possible risk factors for developing HD among HCWs are female gender and older age. Preventive measures for HD are needed for HCWs, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.