*1Ilori, O. R., 2,3Attama, U. C., 4Ilori, O. S., 5Akin-Dosumu, V. T., and 5Anegbe, N. E.
1Department of Community Medicine, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria
2National Hospital, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria
3Postgraduate School, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria
4Department of Surgery, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria
5Department of Community Medicine, LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Nigeria *Correspondence to: orilori@lautech.edu.ng; 07031038682; ORCID: 0000-0002-3791-1022
Abstract:
Background: Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) pose serious challenges to safe and high-quality healthcare delivery. They are associated with prolonged hospital stays, disability, economic burden, and mortality, and are usually consequences of poor infection prevention and control practices. The objective of this study was to assess the level of knowledge, attitude and practice of healthcare workers on infection prevention, and the determining factors at the National Hospital Abuja, Nigeria.
Methodology: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of 300 participants selected by multi-stage and systematic random sampling techniques at the National Hospital Abuja. Data on knowledge of HAIs, attitude toward HAI prevention, and practice of HAI prevention were collected from each participant using self-administered structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Science, version 25.0. Chi-square test was used to determine the association between categorical variables, and the level of significance was set at p<0.05. Results: Of the 300 questionnaires administered, 286 were duly filled and returned, resulting in a response rate of 95.3%. One hundred and three (53.0%) respondents were within the age group 31-40 years, over half of the respondents were females (58.7%) and 57.0% had work experience of less than 5 years. Based on the cut-off scores of 15.7, 32.2 and 8.5 that characterized respondents’ knowledge, attitude and practice of infection prevention respectively as good or poor, 50.4% of the respondents had good knowledge of HAIs, 71.0% had good attitude towards HAIs prevention and 55.5% had good infection prevention practices. However, good knowledge of HAIs was significantly associated with poor infection prevention practices (p=0.002). Female gender (p=0.029), work experience of less than 5 years (p=0.036), laboratory scientist profession (p=0.010), and no previous training on HAIs (p=0.005) were factors significantly associated with good infection prevention practices among the respondents.
Conclusion: In this study, good knowledge of HAIs, and infection prevention practices among the respondents were average, although good attitude towards HAIs prevention was high. These findings highlight the need to continue intensive and in-service trainings of healthcare workers toward HAIs prevention, including behavioral change, using innovative approaches.
Keywords: Hospital-acquired infection, health care workers, knowledge, attitude, practice
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