Patient Companions’ Knowledge and Practice of Infection Prevention and Control Measures in Health Facilities in the City of Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso

Healthcare in a hospital environment frequently involves patient companions who can serve as reservoirs and transmitters of infection. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and practices of patient companions regarding infection prevention and control (IPC) in healthcare settings of Bobo Dioulasso (Burkina Faso). A cross-sectional study including patient companions was conducted at Sourô Sanou University Hospital (CHUSS) and the Do and Dafra district hospitals. Multilevel linear regression model was employed to assess the associations between companion characteristics and their level of knowledge or practice. The statistical significance level was set at 5% for all analyses. A total of 789 patient companions were included. The average knowledge score on IPC was 32 out of 100. The average score for IPC practices in healthcare facilities was 81.0 out of 100. Male gender (P=0.029), urban residence (P=0.034), widower status (P=0.001), secondary education and above (P=0.000), and awareness (P=0.000) were found to be associated with a higher level of IPC knowledge. Secondary education and above (P=0.010), awareness (P=0.000), CHUSS and Do (P=0.012) were factors associated with good IPC practices. This results showed patient companions deficiency in IPC knowledge and practice. Main factors of this deficit were a paucity of education and insufficient awareness.