Association between personality traits and the occurrence of work accidents involving biological hazards among nursing staff at Hospital Universitario de Santander (HUS): Case-control study

Abstract

Introduction. Work accidents involving exposure to biological hazards (ATBIO for its Spanish original) are potential causes of infectious diseases related to high morbidity and mortality rates. The identification of the causes that produce such accident rate will enable the implementation of strategies to control and reduce work-related accidents. The objective was establishing the association between personality traits, particularly the personality trait of unconcern, and the occurrence of ATBIO among the nursing staff of Hospital Universitario de Santander in the period from 2008 to 2009. Methodology. Case-control study. Results. The study included 68 (18%) cases with ATBIO history and 290 controls, for a case-to-control ratio of 1:4. The multivariate analysis found the following variables associated with work-accident rate involving biological hazards: Perceiving the risk of an ATBIO at work as high, OR: 0.42 (CI 95% 0.23 - 0.75); working 24 or more additional hours per week, OR: 2.66 (CI 95% 1.34 - 5.28); working in the emergency room, OR: 2.72 (CI 95% 1.38 - 5.35); not wearing gloves when they are required for the task, OR: 2.05 (CI 95% 1.10 - 3.79), and perceiving the risk as high reduces the risk by 60%. Conclusion. Significant variables were identified related to the occurrence of work accidents, which will facilitate planning, execution and implementation of occupational health programs aimed at controlling work-accident rate involving biological hazards. No evidence was found of a relationship between personality traits and the occurrence of ATBIO.