The Role of Susceptibility in the Association Between Exposures and Occupational Contact Dermatitis: A Scoping Review

The objective of this review is to identify individual susceptibility factors and determine their role in the association between work-related exposures and contact dermatitis (CD). A scoping review was conducted using Medline, Embase, and CINAHL. Cohort and case-control studies were included for all types of CD, and cross-sectional studies for allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). In the absence of meta-analysis, we drew qualitative inferences summarising the findings. Twenty-one studies, primarily cross-sectional (n = 18), investigated how 44 individual susceptibility factors influenced associations between 53 work-related exposures (from six exposure categories) and CD. These factors were grouped into five categories: demographic, socioeconomic, host-related intrinsic factors, lifestyle, and exposures outside work. The factors variously mitigated, amplified, or had no effect on the exposure-CD association. The role of individual susceptibility factors in work-related exposure-CD associations remains underexplored and inconclusive. Determining their individual contributions is challenging, as studies often adjust for multiple factors, with inconsistent influence on the association. Age, sex, atopic history, hand eczema, smoking, and ethnicity may influence CD risk and should be considered in studies examining work-related exposure-CD associations. Further research is needed to clarify the role of individual susceptibility factors and guide effective prevention strategies for occupational CD.