Needlestick Injuries and Preventive Implications among Sanitation Workers

Background Hospital sanitation workers frequently get needle stick and sharps injuries (NSSIs), which are described as unintentional injuries brought on by various sharp objects, including needles, scalpels, and glass slides, cutting through the skin while providing medical care. However, there are fewer studies among these marginalized working groups than among other healthcare staff. Objective The study aimed to assess needlestick injuries, associated factors among sanitation workers (SWs), and their preventive implications Methods A hospital-based Cross-sectional study design was conducted in the Eastern part of Ethiopia in eight selected public hospitals. The study period ranged from May 1 ^st, 2023, to August 30 ^th, 2023. The study's source was all hospitals in eastern Ethiopia, and its target was 342 at random. The prevalence of NSSIs was calculated using the single-proportion formula. Face-to-face data collection was conducted. To ensure the validity of the data, data collectors were trained, and standard and structured questionnaires were developed. The data were coded and exported into EpiData 3.1 before being exported to Stata 17. Hospital sanitation workers frequently get needle stick and sharps injuries (NSSIs), which are described as unintentional injuries brought on by various sharp objects, including needles, scalpels, and glass slides, cutting through the skin while providing medical care. The crude odds ratio (COR) and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) were displayed with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The Hosmer and Lemeshow goodness-of-fit tests were employed. Multicollinearity was tested using the variance inflation factor (VIF). Result The prevalence of acute needle stick and sharp injuries (NSSIs) in the last 12 months among sanitation workers (SWs) of tertiary government hospitals was 68.14% (95%CI:62.69,73,23%). The injured body parts were fingers, feet/toes, arms, and legs, which were shared by 46.68%, 26.50%, 17.67% and 14.20%, respectively. Multivariable logistic shows that safety factors such as lack of OHS training (AOR: 2.27; 95%CI: 1.09, 4.71), non-compliance of PPE (AOR: 2.00; 95%CI: 1.00,4.78), working more than 8hr hours per day (AOR: 4.12; 95%CI: 2.76, 9.45) were increased odds of NSSIs. Also, working at night (AOR: 2.21(1.03, 4.72), job stress (AOR: 7.16; 95%CI: 4.23, 12.10), and workload (AOR: 6.84; 95%CI: 2.14, 21.83) increased the odds of NSSIs. Meanwhile, lack of supervision (AOR: 5.34; 95%CI: 2.54,8.87), lack of post-exposure prophylaxis service (AOR: 3.53; 95%CI: 1.01,6.78), and weak implementation of IPC service (AOR: 6.12; 95%CI: 3.56,16.87) increased the odds of NSSIs among SWs Conclusion There is still considerable public health concern about the prevalence of NSSIs among SWs. The main identified associated factors were lack of OHS training, working more than 8hr hours per day, job stress, workload, lack of supervision, lack of post-exposure prophylaxis service, and weak implementation of IPC service. Therefore, this study advised that safety procedures and the appropriate use of safety equipment, ongoing educational campaigns, and focused training programs are crucial to control the risk of NSSIs among these marginalized groups. In addition, the initial increase in NSSIs that was noted after safety measures were put in place emphasizes the need for ongoing education and practical training to guarantee that these features are used effectively.