The field representatives manual reports that questions on dermatitis were part of a set of "three health conditions and the possible connections between those conditions and the jobs held by sample adults." The other conditions reported were Asthma (such as a smoker's asthma, bronchial asthma, allergic asthma) and Carpal tunnel syndrome (a condition affecting the wrist and hand).

The manual also goes onto say that "When collecting job and industry information, it is very important that you carefully enter the correct information about the name and type of business and the kind of work one is/was doing. This information will be filled in the text of several questions throughout the supplement."

The variables associated with these questions include: