Adebowale Oluwawemimo O, Afolabi Monsurat O, Adesokan Hezekiah K, Fasanmi Olubunmi G, Adeyemo Olanike K, Awoyomi Olajoju J, Fasina Folorunso O
Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Federal University of Agriculture, Alabata, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.
Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
Vet Med Int. 2020 Aug 1;2020:2780378. doi: 10.1155/2020/2780378. eCollection 2020.
Veterinary practices or activities expose professionals, including students, to hazards associated with animal contact. To describe workplace health and safety status and risk factors associated with hazards among veterinary clinical students in South West Nigeria, a cross-sectional survey was conducted using a semistructured questionnaire. Data on demographics, health and safety (HS) status, work-related hazards, healthcare facilities, and immunisation history were obtained. Of 167 students recruited, 100 (60.2%) were males, and >77.1% fell within the age group of 21-25 years. Many participants (77.0%) reported the lack of active HS committee. Exposures to various physical hazards (PHs) such as needlestick injuries (NSIs, 41.5%), animal scratches (42.0%), animal kicks (33.0%), falls/slips (25.0%), and, less frequently, animal bites (13.8%) were reported. Allergies (35.9%) and acute gastrointestinal infection (25.6%) mainly after contact with dogs presented with parvoviral enteritis were reported. For chemical hazards, 27.8% and 29.0% of participants indicated having had eye burn and choke on exposure to formalin. No adequate immunisation against either tetanus, rabies, or both was provided (<18%). An association between accommodation type and students' level of health and safety training was observed (OR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.241-0.897, =0.02), and frequencies of student contact with various animal types were strongly associated with exposures to different physical and biological risks ( < 0.05). This study revealed poor health and safety training, practices, and increased exposure of students to a wide range of hazards. Therefore, the development of mitigation programmes in veterinary schools becomes critical to safeguard students' wellbeing.
兽医诊疗活动会使包括学生在内的专业人员面临与动物接触相关的危害。为描述尼日利亚西南部兽医临床专业学生的工作场所健康与安全状况以及与危害相关的风险因素，采用半结构化问卷进行了一项横断面调查。收集了有关人口统计学、健康与安全（HS）状况、工作相关危害、医疗设施以及免疫史的数据。在招募的167名学生中，100名（60.2%）为男性，超过77.1%的学生年龄在21至25岁之间。许多参与者（77.0%）报告称缺乏活跃的HS委员会。报告显示学生暴露于各种物理危害（PHs），如针刺伤（NSIs，41.5%）、动物抓伤（42.0%）、动物踢伤（33.0%）、跌倒/滑倒（25.0%），以及较少发生的动物咬伤（13.8%）。报告了接触患有细小病毒性肠炎的犬只后出现的过敏（35.9%）和急性胃肠道感染（25.6%）。对于化学危害，27.8%和29.0%的参与者表示曾因接触福尔马林而眼部灼伤和窒息。破伤风、狂犬病或两者的免疫接种均不足（<18%）。观察到住宿类型与学生的健康与安全培训水平之间存在关联（OR = 0.46，95% CI：0.241 - 0.897，P = 0.02），学生与不同动物类型的接触频率与暴露于不同的物理和生物风险密切相关（P < 0.05）。本研究揭示了健康与安全培训及实践较差，且学生暴露于多种危害的情况增多。因此，在兽医学校制定缓解计划对于保障学生的健康至关重要。
