Knowledge, attitude and practice of infection prevention and control among healthcare workers: one year after an outbreak of nosocomial Lassa fever in a tertiary hospital in southeast Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Background: With the rise in cases of Lassa fever in recent times in West Africa, the healthcare setting continues to pose significant risk especially among healthcare workers (HCWs) for diseases like Lassa fever that are transmitted via contact with blood and other body fluids. We therefore assessed the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of infection prevention and control (IPC) one year after an outbreak of nosocomial transmission of Lassa fever in the study hospital. Methodology: A cross-sectional study of HCWs was conducted in Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, a tertiary hospital designated for Lassa fever treatment in southeast Nigeria. A total of 631 HCWs selected by systematic random sampling were surveyed using self-administered questionnaire to determine the KAP of IPC. Data analysis was done with EPI INFO version 7.2 and Microsoft Excel 2016, and Chi square statistic was used to examine relationship between variables at 5% level of significance. Results: Only 287 (51.1%) of the 562 respondent HCWs had good knowledge of IPC, 442 (78.6%) had good attitude towards IPC, and 268 (47.7%) had good practice of IPC. Socio-demographic predictors of IPC knowledge included being a medical laboratory scientist (AOR=0.5; 95% CI=0.29-0.83; p=0.009), tertiary education level (AOR=7.0; 95% CI=1.11-44.60; p=0.038), and work experience of ≥ 7 years (AOR=2.3; 95% CI=1.47-3.57; p<0.001). Male gender (AOR=1.9; 95% CI=1.06-3.42; p=0.031), nurse professional (AOR=6.5; 95% CI=2.67-15.81; p<0.001) and work experience of ≥ 7 years (AOR=2.5; 95% CI=1.37-4.54; p=0.003) were predictors of good attitude towards IPC. Also, nurse professional (AOR=3.1; 95% CI=1.79-5.20; p<0.001) and married status (AOR=1.6; 95% CI=1.05-2.55; p=0.028) were predictors of good practice of IPC among the respondents. Conclusions: The study demonstrated that knowledge and practice of IPC was low in the study location despite the interventions that had been instituted to improve the IPC framework. Therefore, there is need to adapt approaches that will influence behavior change towards IPC in the course of the in-service trainings being conducted in the hospital.