Investigating the knowledge, attitude, and performance of the staff of the therapeutic educational center in Gorgan city about the factors related to hand hygiene according to the PRECEDE Model: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: Hospital-acquired infections pose a significant risk to patients who are hospitalized and have become a major global concern. These infections are associated with an increasing number of complications, morbidity, and mortality rates, and result in considerable costs for patients during their hospital stay. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of the staff of Shahid Sayad Shirazi Hospital in Gorgan regarding the factors related to hand hygiene based on the PRECEDE model, 2020. To improve the observance of hand hygiene in personnel, it is necessary to study the factors related to their behaviors. Patients and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with a descriptive-analytical approach. The statistical population was the administrative and medical personnel working in Shahid Sayad Shirazi Hospital, who were selected by random sampling. An author-made questionnaire was used, which included questions on knowledge, attitude, and performance. The questionnaire was based on Najafi Ghezeljeh et al’s study questionnaire and had 6 sections: demographic, knowledge, attitude, and enabling, where content validity was confirmed by determining CVR=0.78 and CVI=0.84. The questionnaire’s reliability was Cronbach’s alpha=0.84. The data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 16, and descriptive statistics and inferential statistics parametric tests ANOVA, t test, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were used at the error level (0.05). Results: The results showed that the score of all areas was above average. The domain of enabling factors was affected by four variables: gender, degree of education, grade of education, and type of employment. The knowledge was affected by three demographic variables: age, work experience, and marital status. The performance is affected by the variable of work experience. Conclusion: To observe hand hygiene according to the instructions, it is required to create resources on a proper basis and provide basic knowledge, attitude, and practice training to the staff based on the PRECEDE model.