The other corona warriors: A KAP study on COVID-19 among janitors and housekeeping staff from a tertiary care hospital in Eastern India

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Janitors and housekeeping staff are an integral part of our health-care system and are also in the frontline to fight this pandemic. COVID-19 infection is a new disease which currently has no specific treatment and vaccine, but this disease is preventable if there is a high level of awareness. This is especially important for housekeepers as they are unable to get adequate protection unlike doctors and nurses. They also receive less importance and appreciation than other frontline workers. OBJECTIVES: To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of janitors and housekeeping staff of a tertiary care hospital on COVID-19 and to find out the factors associated with KAP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational study was carried out among 214 janitors and housekeeping staff of a tertiary care hospital in Kolkata. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 20.0. Each response was scored, and subjects having a total score above the median score of KAP scores were said to have adequate knowledge, positive attitude, and satisfactory practice, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression was done to check the association between KAP of the study population with their sociodemographic profile. RESULTS: About 53.3% of the study population had adequate knowledge, 56.1% had positive attitude, while 62.6% had satisfactory practice (≥median score). Age, posting in medicine & allied departments and surgery and allied departments were found to have statistically significant odds of inadequate knowledge. Odds of having negative attitude was found to be statistically significant in those working as security and kitchen staff and residing within the institution premises. Odds of having unsatisfactory practice was found to be statistically significant in the age group of 34 years and above and those following Islam religion. CONCLUSION: The janitors and housekeeping staff had adequate knowledge on COVID-19, and their attitude was mainly positive with satisfactory practice. However, the proportion of adequate knowledge, positive attitude, and satisfactory practice could have been higher. As the global threat of COVID-19 continues to increase, greater efforts through campaigns that target frontline workers and the wider population are urgently needed.