A nationwide, multihospital, cross-sectional, self-reported study: Knowledge, attitude and behaviour concerning the use of personal protective equipment among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia.

INTRODUCTION: Personal protective equipment (PPE) is crucial in reducing the risk of hospital-acquired COVID-19 as health care workers (HCW)s are highly exposed to the virus during the management of patients with COVID-19. This study assesses the knowledge, attitude and behaviour of the HCWs towards the use of PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a nationwide, online-based cross-sectional study utilising a self-administered questionnaire that was distributed to tertiary hospital HCWs in Malaysia, conducted between June and August 2020. RESULTS: Forty-eight physicians, 66 nurses and 79 medical assistants participated in this study. 73.6% correctly recognised PPE components while 40.4% revealed correct hand hygiene practices and approximately 20% had misconceptions about the proper usage of PPE. Although 78.8% disclosed high compliance, 37.3% perceived that PPE protocol interferes with patient care. HCWs have suboptimal knowledge levels of hand hygiene. Age and poor behaviour were the independent predictors of good compliance with PPE. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the necessity to analyse discrepancies in PPE practice among HCWs and its contributing elements. Recognised barriers should be addressed to narrow the gap between knowledge, attitude and behaviour to improve compliance. The study findings would assist in developing an improved disease transmission control and prevention training protocols for HCWs as a preparation for possible infectious outbreaks in the future.

Career Challenges Model Among Female Engineers: PLS-Sem Analysis

@#Women are likely to leave the job sector as a result of the crisis between their commitments to the career with the household interest. In response to this issue, this study aims to build a career challenge model that caters to the demand among women in this century. Hence, this study has identified the key factors to the challenges faced by female engineers in pursuing their career as an engineer through the Delphi Modified Technique. The result shows this study looking into the relationship between four independent constructs namely, life balance, childcare, leaves and gender discrimination. Meanwhile, the dependent construct of this study is career challenges faced by women. The scope of the study comprises female engineers with families and 211 respondents were selected to answer the questionnaire. The data obtained were analysed using the PLS-SEM 2.0 software via the algorithm, bootstrapping and blindfolding method. The construction process of this model involves two tests including the construction of the measurement model and the structure model. Testing the measurement model involves internal consistency namely (a) convergent validity and (b) discriminant validity in which these two validities have six analyses; (i) external loading, (ii) composite reliability, (iii) average variance extracted (AVE), (iv) Fornell-Larcker, (v) cross loading, and (vi) Heterotrait-Monotrait Ratio (HTMT). Meanwhile, the structural model testing involves the analysis of (i) Multicollinearity (Inner VIF), (ii) Path Coefficient, (iii) R square (R2), (iv) size effect (f2), and (v) Predictive Relevance (Q2). The findings indicate that gender discrimination and life balance have significant relationships in influencing career challenges. Hence, this model is expected to contribute to the literature of Human Resource Management.