Uptake of Post-Exposure Prophylaxis among Nurses in the Kassena/Nankana Municipality of Northern Ghana. “A Health Belief Theory guided cross-sectional study”

Objective: To explore the uptake of post-exposure prophylaxis among nurses in the Kassena Nankana Municipality of Northern Ghana. Methods: A cross-sectional research design utilizing descriptive studies was employed to gather data on the uptake of post-exposure prophylaxis among nurses. Registered nurses and nurse assistants capable of independently consenting participated in this study. Data were collected using structured questionnaires. The questionnaire contained information on participants' socio-demographic characteristics, the health belief theory framework, and uptake of post-exposure prophylaxis. Results: Among the study participants who returned their questionnaires (n=185), 130 (70.2%) were exposed to infectious diseases, out of which only 66 (50.8%) initiated post-exposure prophylaxis. Study participants generally had a heightened perception level for the foundational constructs of the health belief model, namely, perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, perceived barriers, and perceived benefits. Spearman rho correlation univariate analysis revealed a positive but insignificant correlation between perceived barriers (p<0.273), perceived benefits (p<0.385), and uptake of post-exposure prophylaxis. At the same time, there was an equally negative but insignificant correlation between perceived severity (p<0.078), perceived susceptibility (p<0.054), and uptake of post-exposure prophylaxis. Conclusion: While there was a general acknowledgement and heightening of nurses' perceptions on infectious diseases, the corresponding insignificant correlation between the constructs and uptake of post-exposure prophylaxis impulsively calls for stakeholder engagement and systems re-engineering within the health service value chain to enhance uptake of post-exposure prophylaxis among nurses.