Volume 25, Issue 107, January, 2021

Healthcare workers knowledge and perception of the preventive measures amid current Covid-19 pandemic: An experience from central Saudi Arabian district

Ashraf E Saad¹, Al Wasila T Al Natig², Hassan M Aldossary³, Hani M Alkhalaf³, Bashir Ighile⁴, Majed Kh Al Harthi⁵, Raouf M Afifi^6♦

¹Preventive Medicine Department, Armed Forced Hospital, Wadi Al Dawasir, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)
²Infection Prevention and Control Unit, Armed Forces Hospital, Wadi Al Dawsir, KSA
³General Surgery Departments, Armed Forces Hospital, Wadi Al Dawasir, KSA
⁴Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Department, Armed Forces Hospital, Wadi Al Dawasir, KSA
⁵Academic Affairs, King Abdulaziz Specialist Hospital, Taif, KSA
⁶Community Health Research Institute, York Ridge International, Tampa FL, USA

^♦Corresponding author
Community Health Research Institute, York Ridge International, Tampa FL, USA; Email: raoufafifi@hotmail.com

ABSTRACT

Aim: Study knowledge and perception of COVID-19 prevention and control (IPC) measures of healthcare workers (HCWs) of Armed Forced Hospital, Wadi Al Dawasir (AFHWD), Saudi Arabia. Methods: All HCWs were invited June, 2020; a pre-validated questionnaire used. Results: Out of 103 participants, 40 (38.9%) were physicians, 33 (32.0%) nurses, 30 (29.1%) other HCWs; mean age 39.4±9.5y. The mean score for COVID-19 knowledge surpassed the cutoff (25.1 vs. 22.4, p<0.001); contrary to COVID-19 IPC measures’ (33.4 vs. 36.4; p=0.01). COVID-19 “all-knowledge” mean score (58.5) equated the cutoff (58.8) (p=0.89); same as IPC measures perception mean score’s (80.8 vs. 81.2, p = 0.8). An overall mean score (139.5) achieved equated the cutoff (140), (p = 0.83). Physicians and nurses achieved mean COVID-19 IPC knowledge scores (35.8, 34.9) higher than other professions’ (p<0.001). Physicians referred to reliable COVID-19 sources more frequently (aOR 4.1, 95%CI 2.1 – 11.7). Conclusion: The HCW levels of knowledge and perception toward COVID-19 measures were satisfactory. Awareness of some specific COVID-19 IPC measures needs to be enhanced. Findings help update COVID-19 preventive policy; raising the HCWs’ COVID-19 nosocomial transmission preventive skills.

Keywords: Healthcare workers, knowledge, COVID-19, Central Saudi Arabia

Medical Science, 2021, 25(107), 36-45

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