Knowledge, Attitude and Perceptions on Infection Prevention and Control among Primary Healthcare Workers in Calabar Municipality, Cross River State: A cross sectional study (Published)
Exposure to infectious diseases is one of the most frequently identified occupational hazards facing healthcare workers. This study was aimed at determining the knowledge, attitude and perceptions regarding infection prevention and control (IPC) among primary healthcare workers in Calabar municipality. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was adopted using a structured questionnaire to elicit information from 359 healthcare workers drawn from 9 primary healthcare facilities. All data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 25. The results indicate that 62.7% of the respondents had heard about IPC. The Major source of information was training (61.8%). Majority (72.4%) of the respondents knew that hand hygiene is highly effective in preventing Hospital acquired Infections (HAIs). Among the respondents, 80.2% knew that hand washing should be done before and after contacts with patient, 84.12%, knew that changing gloves while working with different patients reduce the risk of infection transmission, however, only 22.56% knew that chemical sterilization technique cannot be used for all equipment. Summarily, 64.3% of the respondents had good level of knowledge. Majority of the respondents (88.3%) were found to have positive attitude regarding IPC, and 81.6% had good perceptions towards infection prevention and control. Though majority of the healthcare workers were found to have high knowledge levels, positive attitude and good perceptions regarding IPC, there is still need for primary healthcare facility leadership to organize regular training to further improve on healthcare workers’ knowledge on IPC.
Keywords: Knowledge, Perception, attitude, infection prevention and control, primary healthcare