Marquer Caroline, Guindo Ousmane, Mahamadou Issa, Job Elodie, Rattigan Susan M, Langendorf Céline, Grais Rebecca F, Isanaka Sheila
Department of Research, Epicentre, Paris, France.
Epicentre Niger, Maradi, Niger.
Infect Prev Pract. 2021 Jul 3;3(3):100160. doi: 10.1016/j.infpip.2021.100160. eCollection 2021 Sep.
The risk of healthcare-associated infections is exacerbated by poor hygiene practices in health care facilities and can contribute to increased patient morbidity and mortality. In low-income settings, caregivers play a key role in maintaining proper hygiene during inpatient stays. We aimed to explore caregivers' knowledge, perceptions and practices related to hospital hygiene in a rural, sub-Saharan African setting.
We conducted an exploratory qualitative study among caregivers of children admitted to an inpatient therapeutic feeding center in Madarounfa, Niger. Individual interviews with 28 caregivers of hospitalized children were conducted to explore their knowledge, perceptions and practices of hygiene in the health facility.
Caregivers described a broad understanding of hygiene and reported knowledge of its importance in the hospital, particularly to prevent disease transmission and protect child health. Hygiene was perceived as a collective rather than individual responsibility. Caregivers reported on the poor hygiene practice of others and cited a lack of space and hygiene materials as barriers to correct hygiene practice. Caregivers described educational sessions and informal sharing with other caregivers as tools to gain knowledge and improve practice.
This exploratory study is unique in describing the perspective of caregivers in a low-resource hospital setting, a group often underrepresented when designing health interventions to improve hospital hygiene. Our findings suggest a strong knowledge of hospital hygiene among caregivers in this setting, with positive perception of its importance in health promotion. Poor individual practice was reported but may be improved through additional education and provision of hygiene materials.
医疗保健机构中不良的卫生习惯会加剧医疗相关感染的风险，并可能导致患者发病率和死亡率上升。在低收入环境中，护理人员在住院期间保持适当卫生方面发挥着关键作用。我们旨在探讨撒哈拉以南非洲农村地区护理人员与医院卫生相关的知识、认知和做法。
我们在尼日尔马达鲁恩法的一家住院治疗性喂养中心对入院儿童的护理人员进行了一项探索性定性研究。对28名住院儿童的护理人员进行了个人访谈，以探讨他们在医疗机构中的卫生知识、认知和做法。
护理人员对卫生有广泛的理解，并报告了其在医院中的重要性，特别是预防疾病传播和保护儿童健康方面的知识。卫生被视为一项集体而非个人的责任。护理人员报告了其他人不良的卫生习惯，并指出缺乏空间和卫生用品是正确卫生习惯的障碍。护理人员将教育课程和与其他护理人员的非正式交流描述为获取知识和改进做法的工具。
这项探索性研究在描述资源匮乏的医院环境中护理人员的观点方面具有独特性，在设计改善医院卫生的健康干预措施时，这一群体的代表性往往不足。我们的研究结果表明，在这种环境下，护理人员对医院卫生有很强的了解，并积极认识到其在促进健康方面的重要性。虽然报告了个人卫生习惯不佳的情况，但通过额外的教育和提供卫生用品可能会有所改善。
