Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors Regarding Occupational Risks and Standard Precautions Among Healthcare Workers in North Cyprus: A Descriptive Cross- sectional Study

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The occupational risks of healthcare workers (HCW) are well established. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of healthcare professionals regarding occupational risks and standard precautions.MATERIAL AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in three hospitals in North Cyprus, aiming to access HCW with a questionnaire developed by the researchers, with 3 knowledge, 9 perception and attitude, 22 behavior, and 10 health hazard items. The data were analyzed using SPSS18.0. Descriptive statistics with univariate and bivariate analyses were performed with significance level set as p<0.05.RESULTS: The response rate was 80.7%, and 83% of the participants considered the institutional precautions to be unsatisfactory, while 57.5% described their work as very risky, 50.7% reported experiencing at least one sharps injury, and 37.1% reported exposure to chemicals during their professional activities. The nursing profession and night shift work were predictors of higher stress and risk perceptions and occupational injury. The vaccination rates of the recommended vaccines were low. The technician profession and working in the state institution were predictors of lower rates of hepatitis vaccination and the female gender for lower rates of tetanus vaccination. Only 18.4% of the participants reported regular mask use and 50.6% effective gloves use while contacting patients. Nurses followed by physicians exhibited better performance regarding personal protective equipment use. Compliance with standard precautions was unsatisfactory in general: responses manifested levels of correct knowledge as 40.5%, correct attitudes as 53.9%, and correct behaviors as 52.1%.CONCLUSION: A definite need to develop educational and administrative interventions to improve compliance with standard precautions was established. The public health authorities were informed about the outputs.