The knowledge, attitudes, and practices of needlestick injury among Iraqi Healthcare Workers

Background
In healthcare-related situations, needlestick injuries represent a significant occupational health risk. Healthcare professionals face the danger of contracting blood-borne infections, as well as the psychological impact of these injuries.

Objectives
To evaluate healthcare workers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding needlestick injuries and their associated socio-demographic determinants.

Material and methods
This cross-sectional study investigated healthcare workers in Al-Najaf City. From February 1st, 2023, to February 1st, 2024, researchers recruited 380 participants from various healthcare institutions. The sample included specialists, such as anesthesiologists, surgeons, dentists, surgical and anesthesia assistants, nurses, physicians, and laboratory technicians. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. It assessed socio-demographics, needlestick injury knowledge, attitudes, and practices. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 26. p ≤ 0.05 indicates statistical significance.

Results
More than 80% of participants had good knowledge, only 58.66% had appropriate attitudes, and (46.58%) demonstrated good practices regarding needlestick injuries. There was a significant difference in knowledge between different job categories, with the highest percentage of good knowledge among surgeon doctors (91.1%), (p < 0.001). Nurses demonstrated the highest level of appropriate attitude, while anesthetists showed the lowest (60.0% vs 25.0%). This difference was statistically significant (p = 0.010). The highest per-centage of good practices was among nurses (57.5%), while the lowest was among the assistant surgeons (15.8%), (p = 0.007).

Conclusions
This study found a concerning gap between healthcare workers’ knowledge and their actual practices regarding needlestick injuries. Although they reported good knowledge, their attitudes and reported practices suggest room for improvement.