PREVALENCE, RISK FACTORS, AND CLINICAL ASSESSMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL HAND ECZEMA AMONG PROFESSIONAL CLEANERS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYTICAL STUDY

Eczema is a prevalent occupational disease among hospital cleaning staff due to persistent exposure to disinfectants. This experimental cross-sectional study assessed prevalence, awareness, and compliance regarding protective measures in a sample of 62 cleaners. Objective measurement of hand eczema, awareness scoring, and compliance indices were evaluated. The overall prevalence of physician-confirmed eczema was 16.1 %, with an additional 27.4 % exhibiting undiagnosed symptoms. Awareness was high (77.4 %), but formal compliance with protective measures was poor (14.8 %). Statistical analysis revealed significant associations between awareness and symptom presence (p < 0.01), and between compliance and reduction in symptom severity (p < 0.05). Novel insight was provided by quantifying the large discrepancy between knowledge and actual protective behavior in this occupational group. These results suggest that despite adequate knowledge, barriers to compliance—such as insufficient training, lack of resources, or workplace constraints—persist. It is crucial to implement targeted institutional interventions to enhance adherence to protective protocols. Future directions include randomized trials of educational and resource-based interventions in cleaning staff. Keywords: occupational eczema; disinfectant exposure; protective compliance.