Barriers and Facilitators of Compliance with Universal Precautions at First Level Health Facilities in Northern Rural Pakistan

Abstract

Aim: We assessed the compliance at first level care facilities (FLCF) with universal precautions (UP) and its behavioral predictors using Health Belief Model (HBM).

Methods: A sample of FLCF from public clinic (PC), privately owned licensed practitioners’ clinic (LPC) and non-licensed practitioners’ clinic (NLPC) was obtained. Health Care Workers (HCW) who diagnose and prescribe medication was termed as Prescriber and that carries out prescriber’s order was defined Assistant. Compliance to UP was measured on 11 items Likert scale. HCW responded “always†or “often†to all items of UP were added to compute a binary variable of overall compliance. We used linear regression to assess association between HBM and UP score.

Results: We interviewed 485 HCW (75% prescribers) from 365 clinics; mean age 38±10.4 years. Overall, compliance to UP was 6.6%; 11.6% LPC, 5.3% PC, and 4.4% NLPC. Prescribers were less compliant than Assistants. Compliance with not recapping contaminated needle was poor (PC=32%, LPC=33%, NLPC=15%). Compliance with wearing gloves during blood or body fluid exposure was lowest (30%) at PC. Modes of transmission knowledge, self-efficacy and perceived benefits of safe practice, and susceptibility to blood borne infections were positively associated with UP score.

Conclusion: Higher perception of barriers and severity of blood borne infection result in lower compliance.                

 

Keywords:

Universal Precautions Health Care workers HBM blood borne pathogens
Yousafzai, M. T., Janjua, N. Z., Siddiqui, A. R., & Rozi, S. (2015). Barriers and Facilitators of Compliance with Universal Precautions at First Level Health Facilities in Northern Rural Pakistan. International Journal of Health Sciences, 9(4). Retrieved from https://ijhs.qu.edu.sa/index.php/journal/article/view/1025
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Author Biographies

Mohammad Tahir Yousafzai, Dept of Pediatrics & Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi
Sr. Instructor, Research Dept. of Pediatrics & Child Health
Naveed Zafar Janjua, BC Center for Disease Control, Vancouver, Canada School of population and Public health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Sr Scientist, BC Center for Disease Control & Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Population & Public Health, UBC
Amna Rehana Siddiqui, Dept. of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Dept. of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
Associate Professor, Dept. of Family and Community Medicine
Shafquat Rozi, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
Assistant Professor, Dept of Community Health Sciences

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