Factors Influencing Compliance With Infection Prevention And Control Standards Among Healthcare Workers In North Bank East Region The Gambia

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Globally, healthcare workers and patients are potentially harmed due to healthcare systems or processes daily, with an estimated 3 million cases of percutaneous exposure to bloodborne viruses occurring among healthcare workers. Non-compliance with infection prevention and control measures increases the transmission of HCAIs. The study's main objective was to assess the factors influencing compliance with infection prevention and control standards among healthcare workers in the North Bank East Region of The Gambia. Method: An analytic cross-sectional study assessed factors influencing compliance with Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) standards. Healthcare workers within xxx health facilities in the North Bank East Region of the Gambia were sampled and interviewed using structured questionnaires. The primary outcome was the level of compliance with IPC standards. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were performed at 95% CI and alpha of 0.05 Result: Majority (78.9%) of health workers had adequate knowledge of infection prevention and control. More than half 128 (58.7%) of the participants had poor attitudes towards IPC standards. Over half (50.5%) of the health workers did not comply with IPC standards. Knowledge level, attitude, accessibility of PPEs and monitoring of IPC practice were significantly associated with compliance with IPC standards. Health workers with good attitudes towards IPC were 2.66 times more likely to comply with IPC standards than their counterparts with poor attitudes IPC (aOR = 2.66, CI = 1.28 – 5.51, p-value = 0.01) Conclusion: The level of compliance with IPC standards is low among health workers, although the majority of the healthcare workers had high Knowledge of IPC standards. Therefore, it is recommended that the Ministry of Health institute an IPC program that will target compliance with

IPC standards among the entire healthcare workers in the country and health facility management to monitor IPC practice among healthcare workers regularly. Key Words: healthcare worker, Knowledge, compliance, healthcare-associated infection, infection prevention and control standards