Abstract

In low- and middle-income hospital settings, hospital-acquired infections can occur among patients or arise among
hospital staff, posing a significant challenge. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices
related to preventing hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) and the associated factors among healthcare workers at
Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital in Kabarole district, western Uganda. Conducted between January and
March 2011, this hospital-based cross-sectional study employed simple random sampling to select 236 participants,
achieving a 100% response rate. Structured self-administered questionnaires were utilized for data collection.
Descriptive analysis was employed to present the main findings, revealing that 90% of participants had good
knowledge and 57.2% held positive attitudes towards HAI prevention. However, only 36% demonstrated good
practices in this regard, indicating suboptimal scores. Significant associations were found between levels of education
and work experience and attitudes and practices related to HAI prevention (P value <0.005). Despite respondents
exhibiting good knowledge and positive attitudes towards HAI prevention, this did not consistently translate into
appropriate practices. Further, education level and work experience emerged as independent risk factors influencing
attitudes and practices concerning HAI prevention. To bridge this gap, continuous on-the-job and off-the-job
training, coupled with stringent adherence to updated standard operating procedures, are recommended.
Keywords: Healthcare workers, HAI prevention, Hospital staff, Hospital settings, Work experience