Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Infection Prevention Measures among Health Care Workers in Wolaitta Sodo Otona Teaching and Referral Hospital

Abstract

Background: Infection prevention is a systematic effort or process of placing barrier between susceptible host and the microorganisms. It also refers to all policies, procedures and activities which aim to prevent or minimize the risk of transmission of infectious disease at health care facility. As far as we know there is no similar study has been done on Wolaitta Sodo teaching and referral hospital, so this study is aim to assess Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on infection prevention and control measures among health professionals. Objectives: The main objective of this study is to assess knowledge, attitude and practice of infection prevention measures among health care workers in Wolaitta Sodo teaching and referral hospital, SNNPR, Ethiopia, in March 2017. Methods: The study was conducted at Wolaitta Sodo teaching and referral hospital, South East Ethiopia and Cross-sectional study design was conducted. From the total of 282 respondents, two hundred seventy one were responded to the study. Self-administered questionnaire were used to collect data. Data were entered in to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Both bivariable and multivariable variable logistic regression were done and for variables which had P-value less than 0.25 in bivariable analysis were inserted in to multivariable logistic regression. Then the variables with p-value of less than 0.05 were considered as predictors of the outcome variable. Data were checked for consistency and completeness. Letter of support was obtained from department of nursing and verbal consent was obtained from the institution and all participants. Results: From the total 282 health care workers (HCWs), 271 HCWs were responded with response rate of 95.7%. Among the respondents 253 (93.4%) have good attitude towards infection prevention and 18 (6.6%) of the respondents have negative attitude towards infection Prevention. 269 (99.3%) of HCWs have good knowledge towards infection prevention and 2 (0.7%) have poor knowledge and 164 (60.5%) of HCWs have good practice towards infection prevention and the remaining 107 (39.5%) of health care workers had poor practice. According to this study sex, working in different departments and receiving formal training has significant association with infection prevention practice but educational status, work experience and job title has no significant association with infection prevention practice. Conclusion: Majority of health care workers’ knowledge and attitude toward infection prevention in Wolaitta Sodo Otona teaching and referral hospital were good and safe enough, but practice of health care workers towards infection control were not sufficient enough. Wolaitta Zone health bureau should monitor and supervise health care workers towards infection prevention practice and control measures with the routine services through preparing and introducing health care workers infection prevention guidelines, protocol, rules, regulation and opportunities to promote the desired team sprit at all health facility levels are recommended.