Health promotion has been defined by the World Health Organization’s(WHO) 2005 Bangkok Charter for Health Promotion as ”the processof enabling people to increase control over their health and its determinants,and thereby improve their health”. One of the most important determinantsof health is quality of life. Hand eczema is a common skin disease that can adverselyaffect the quality of life of patients. The aim of this study was to determinethe quality of life in patients with hand eczema. This case-control studywas performed on 70 patients with hand eczema and 70 healthy controls. Allthe patients filled out two questionnaires: Short Form 36 (SF-36) and DermatologyLife Quality index (DLQI). The data were analyzed using the statisticalsoftware package for social sciences (SPSS).The mean score score of quality of life in dimensions of physical functioning,vitality, and general health in the SF-36 was lower compared to the controlgroup. The mean score in DLQI in patients with hand eczema was 8.68. Therewas a significant negative correlation between the scores of different dimensionsof QOL obtained in the two questionnaires (SF36 and DLQI).The study demonstrated that the quality of life in patients with hand eczemawas lower than that of controls. It seems advisable that psychiatric consultationsor psychotherapy be included in the treatment of chronic hand eczem
