KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND PRACTICES AMONG CLEANERS TOWARDS HEALTH CARE WASTE IN OMDURMAN AND BAHRY TEACHING HOSPITALS

Miada Abdelhalim, Abd Elbasit Elawad and Mohammed A. Elawad*

ABSTRACT

A descriptive hospital based study was conducted in Khartoum, Omdurman, and Bahry Teaching Hospitals to evaluation of knowledge, attitude, and practices among cleaners towards health care waste in Omdurman and Bahry Teaching Hospitals. A total of 200 cleaners were included (90 Males, 119 Females). Data was collected using a prepared and pretested questionnaire addressing knowledge, attitude, and practices towards health care waste. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20. The association between different variables was checked using chi square test at 95% confidence level. The majority of the cleaners (95.5%) knew health care waste, 90% knew types and 93% the hazards of health care waste, and less than half of the cleaners (42.5%) mentioned that the sources of health care waste were hospitals. Twenty six percent of cleaners had a positive attitude towards health care waste. About 74% of cleaners had a negative attitude towards health care waste. The majority of the cleaners (68.5%) used personal protective equipment during work, and 81% washed their hands after completing the cleaning activities. There is a need for health education programs to sustain and promote knowledge and practices of cleaners.

Keywords: Knowledge, attitudes, practices, cleaners, waste, hospitals.