Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice About Bio-Medical Waste Management and Associated Factors Among Health Care Workers at Debre Markos Town Health Care Facilities, Northwest Ethiopia
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Date
2017-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Background: Healthcare activities restore health and save lives; however, they inevitably generate
wastes and by products which may be hazardous to human beings or environment. Generation and
disposal of biomedical wastes has become an emerging problem worldwide. Knowledge, attitude and
practice of health care workers affect outcomes of biomedical waste management and yet they are
less investigated.
Objectives: To assess knowledge, attitude and practice about bio-medical waste management and
associated factors among health care workers at Debre Markos town health care facilities, Northwest
Ethiopia.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was employed from November 20, 2016 to June 12, 2017 among
health care workers at Debre Markos town health care facilities. Data were collected through
structured self-administered, interviewer administered questionnaires and observational checklists.
Data were coded and entered into Epi-data 3.1 software and then exported into SPSS version 20 for
analysis. Descriptive statistics was computed through cross tabulation. Bivariate and multivariable
logistic regression analysis were computed to identify predictor variables significantly associated
with the outcome variables. All variables with p value ≤ 0.2 in bivariate analysis were entered into
multi-variable logistic regression model to adjust possible confounders. Variables with p value of
<0.05 in the final analysis were considered to explain presence of association. Chronbach’s Alpha
internal consistency reliability test was used.
Result: A total of 351 health care workers were studied among 14 health care facilities. Adequate
knowledge, positive attitude and adequate practice scores of health care workers’ were found to be
193(55%), 218(62.1%) and 277(78.9%) respectively. Regarding associated factors, having >10-year
work experience was 4.28 times more likely contribute for adequate knowledge score than study
participants with 1-5 years work experience. Working 8 and more than 8 hours per day were 7 and
6.6 times, respectively, more likely to contribute for positive attitude than working less than 8 hours
per day. Similarly, presence of all three color coded bins in the department/ health care delivery
sections were 4.55 times more lkkely contribute for health care professionals’ adequate practice
score. Similarly, working hours per day (p= 0.014) and attitude scores (p=0.034) significantly
associated with cleaners’ practice score.
Conclusion and Recommendation: In this study knowledge, attitude and practice scores were low.
Regular training and supervision with special emphasis for cleaners is necessary. There is should be
supply of sufficient personal protective equipment.
Key words: Biomedical waste, waste management, knowledge, attitude, practice, health care worker
Description
Keywords
Biomedical waste, Waste management, Knowledge, attitude,, Practice