Role of Attitude in Influencing Compliance with Tuberculosis Infection Prevention and Control Guidelines among Healthcare Workers

Janeffer Muthoni Wangari¹, Emmah Mwangi² and Washington Auma Arodi^3,

¹Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Kenyatta University, P.O Box 74714-00200 Nairobi, Kenya

²Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya

³Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya

Cite this paper

Janeffer Muthoni Wangari, Emmah Mwangi and Washington Auma Arodi. Role of Attitude in Influencing Compliance with Tuberculosis Infection Prevention and Control Guidelines among Healthcare Workers. American Journal of Public Health Research. 2023; 11(3):107-116. doi: 10.12691/AJPHR-11-3-4

Abstract

Background: Tuberculosis is a major occupational hazard among healthcare workers, not just in Kenya but globally due to consistent and routine exposure. This is especially true among the nurses and laboratory workers among the professional cadre who are regarded as high-risk groups for both Latent Tuberculosis Infection (LTBI) as well as active TB, with the lowest risk noted among the administrative staff. The escalated occupational cases were associated with poor implementation of the full hierarchy of IPCs as outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO), especially administrative control. This study was a cross-sectional study that was conducted at Kenyatta National Hospital and Mbagathi District Hospital, Nairobi County. Objective: The study sought to find out the influence of the attitude of HCWs on TB IPC guidelines in Kenyatta National Hospital and Mbagathi District Hospital. Materials and methods: The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional community study design. The study utilized qualitative and quantitative research methods in order to obtain the required information from respondents. Quantitative data collection was done by use of semi-structured, self-administered questionnaires while qualitative data was collected through Key Informant Interviews (KII) and standardized observation checklists among Health Care Workers (HCWs), specifically nurses and laboratory staff. Confidentiality of information collected was observed and consent was sought from the respondents before collecting any form of information from them. A total of 38 nurses and 4 laboratory staff from Mbagathi District Hospital and 332 nurses and 32 laboratory staff from Kenyatta National were randomly selected (n=406). The response rate was 98% with 398 participants having completely and accurately filled and returned the questionnaires. The tools that the researcher used included questionnaires, interview schedules, pens and pencils. Descriptive data was analyzed with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0 with the help of the Microsoft Excel program to generate frequency tables, graphs, and pie charts. Inferential statistics were calculated using Chi-Square tests (p=0.005) done at a 95% confidence level to determine the linkage between the Variables. Results: The attitude level was reported at 72.1% (good) with most respondents indicating that they had a higher risk of acquiring the infection and although they knew about the disease, they expressed concern about being infected while in the line of duty. Further, perceptional survey audits are conducted as random spot checks periodically to ensure that the staff attitude improves. Conclusion: The study findings revealed that there is a dire need to develop and implement a robust occupational health management system that takes cognizance of development and adherence to sensitization framework; accurate and prompt surveillance and reporting of TB; supportive legal framework; committed leadership; financial investment and strict/stringent measures in place to ensure compliance to set guidelines.

Keywords

health care workers, nosocomial tuberculosis, hierarchy of control, infection, prevention and controls (IPC), compliance

Copyright

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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