Contact dermatitis - Relation between job assignment and work motivation in a young Israeli adult population

Background: In this study, we evaluated the role of motivation and other parameters on job assignment in young Israeli soldiers who changed their occupation after the diagnosis of contact dermatitis (CD). Objective: To evaluate the influence of motivation and other parameters on job assignment in young Israeli soldiers with CD. Methods: The files of 336 soldiers who were diagnosed as having CD after their conscription to military service during the years 1986-1989 in the Israel Force were investigated. We compared the rate of occupational changes in the different commands and evaluated different discipline parameters between soldiers who did or did not change their job due to CD. Results: The percentage of job assignment (42.3%) in the study population was higher than the expected rate. A difference was detected in the rate of occupational changes following the diagnosis of CD among different military commands. The frequency of discipline parameters was higher among soldiers who changed job assignment following the diagnosis of CD (n = 142) and soldiers who did not (n = 194). Conclusion:The occupational changes in the various military commands and the differences in the discipline parameters imply that motivation is an important determinant affecting changes in job assignment following the diagnosis of CD.