Health Literacy and Associated Factors in Subjects with Hand Eczema: A Dutch Population-based Study

Nowadays, patients are encouraged to engage in their 
health and health-related aspects (1). However, it can be 
complicated to meet the complex demands of health, especially for those with limited health literacy (2). Health 
literacy is defined as the degree to which individuals have 
the capacity to obtain, process, and understand health 
information and services needed to make appropriate 
health decisions (1). Consequently, limited health literacy 
can be a barrier in disease (self-)management, especially 
in chronic diseases (2).
To date, health literacy has never been investigated in 
patients with hand eczema (HE), while it is a common 
skin disease with multifactorial causes, which might be 
accompanied by difficulties in the comprehension of the 
diagnosis (3). The treatment of HE involves measures to 
avoid exposure to irritants and allergens, along with using 
emollients and corticosteroids, necessitating treatment 
adherence and self-management. Furthermore, oral and 
written information concerning the diagnosis and prevention is often provided during consultations, making 
health literacy essential. Therefore, the aim of this study 
is to measure health literacy and its associated factors 
among individuals with HE within the Dutch general 
population, to create more awareness as a first step to 
improve healthcare in this specific patient population.