Compliance with standard precautions and associated factors among healthcare workers at Mwananyamala regional referral hospital, Dar es salaam

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Compliance with infection prevention and control standard precautions is a significant challenge in many developing countries, including Tanzania, increasing the risk of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) for both healthcare workers and patients. This study examined IPCSP compliance and its associated factors among HCWs at Mwananyamala Regional Referral Hospital, Dar es salaam. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine compliance with IPC Standard Precautions and its associated factors among health care workers at Mwananyamala Regional Referral Hospital. Methodology: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional analytical study conducted at Mwananyamala Regional Referral Hospital. Data were collected from 160 randomly selected healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, and health attendants, through a closed-ended structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27, employing T-tests for continuous variables and Chi-square tests for categorical variables. A linear regression model was used for Compliancy to IPC standard as the dependent variable Results: In our study population the average age was 28 years (IQR 26-31), with 53.1% male and 46.9% female participants. Professionally, 26.3% were doctors, 49.4% nurses, and 24.4% attendants. Compliance with IPC standard precautions were low, with only 30.6% complying and 69.4% not complying with IPC standards. Compliance was significantly associated with profession (nurses more compliant than doctors and attendants, p value=0.009), work experience for more than five years, and prior blood/body fluid exposure (higher compliance among those exposed, p value=0.017). Provision of PPE and IPC training were also significantly associated with compliance (p value=0.003 and p value <0.001, respectively). Bivariate regression indicates that all behavioral factors showed strong positive associations with compliance, However, in multivariate regression, only PPE use remained a significant predictor (β=1.2, p value<0.001), while other factors were not significant predictors. Conclusion: Only 30.6% of healthcare workers at Mwananyamala Regional Hospital complied with infection prevention and control (IPC) standards, with nurses being more compliant than doctors and attendants. Compliance was higher among those with over five years of experience and prior exposure to blood or body fluids. Key factors for higher compliance included the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) and regular IPC training.