Factors Affecting Compliance with Standard Precautions among Healthcare Workers in Public Hospitals Abuja, Nigeria

Background: Health care workers are at risk of various occupational hazards such as blood borne and other pathogens infections in the hospital in the course of carrying out their duties. This study aims to assess the factors affecting compliance with standard precautions (SP)s among Health care workers in primary, secondary and tertiary hospitals in Nigeria

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 332 health care workers involved in clinical practices from 19 Government health facilities in North central Nigeria. A multi-staged sampling technique was used and data collected using a semi-structured self-administered questionnaire and analysed using Epi-info 7 and associations tested using chi square test and logistic regression. Level of significance was set at 5%.

Results: Of 332 participants interviewed, knowledge was above average in 274 (82.6%) of the respondents out of which 141 (42.5%) had good knowledge and 133 (40.1%) had fair knowledge. Majority of the respondents (76.2%) were compliant with SPs. Factors significantly affecting health care worker’s compliance type of health facility (p=0.022) and years of practice (p=0.044).

Conclusion: Health care workers in primary health facilities were less likely to be compliant with standard precautions than those in tertiary health facilities. Training on infection prevention and control, was recommended.