Society for Family Health, Abuja, Nigeria.
Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2022 Mar 14;16(3):e0010259. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010259. eCollection 2022 Mar.
The year 2020 Lassa fever (LF) outbreak had the greatest disease burden and this can place an enormous strain on the already overstretched healthcare system and can potentially increase morbidity and mortality due to infectious diseases. Therefore, having a knowledgeable healthcare workforce with appropriate skills and competencies to prevent and manage outbreaks of a neglected infectious disease such as LF in Nigeria will potentially enhance public health. Thus, this survey assessed the level of knowledge of LF and its prevention and control (PC) measures amongst the healthcare workers (HCWs) during a LF outbreak in Katsina state, Nigeria.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: During this cross-sectional survey, HCWs complete a validated 29-item questionnaire comprising 18 items on the knowledge of LF and its PC measures and an item on global self-evaluation of their LF knowledge. Psychometric properties of the questionnaire were evaluated. Chi-square and binary logistic regression analyses were conducted. Out of 435 HCWs invited, a total of 400 participated in the study (92% response rate). The majority of participants (51.8%) demonstrated inadequate LF knowledge, with 62.9% of those scoring low having a high self-perception of their LF knowledge with the global scale. This LF knowledge over-estimation was predicted by LF training status (odds ratio (OR) 2.53; 95% CI: 1.49-4.30; p = 0.001). The level of LF knowledge and its PC measures among the study participants was low (11.60±8.14, 64.4%) and predicted by participants' LF training status (OR 2.06; 95% CI: 1.19-3.57; p = 0.009), place of work (OR 1.82; 95% CI: 1.07-3.08; p = 0.03) and their designations (OR 2.40; 95% CI: 1.10-5.22; p = 0.03).
The level of knowledge of LF and its PC measures among the HCWs surveyed was suboptimal and participants' LF training status, place of work and occupational category were the significant predictors. In addition, LF knowledge overestimation on a global scale was observed among a majority of HCWs and this was also predicted by LF training status. Therefore, there is a critical need for health authorities in Nigeria to prioritize continuous on-the-job training of HCWs on priority neglected tropical diseases such as Lassa fever.
2020 年拉沙热（LF）疫情的疾病负担最大，这可能给本已不堪重负的医疗体系带来巨大压力，并可能因传染病而导致发病率和死亡率上升。因此，拥有具备适当技能和能力的知识型医疗保健人员，以预防和管理尼日利亚等被忽视的传染病 LF 的爆发，将有可能增强公共卫生。因此，本调查评估了在尼日利亚卡齐纳州 LF 爆发期间医疗保健工作者（HCWs）对 LF 及其预防和控制（PC）措施的知识水平。
方法/主要发现：在这项横断面调查中，HCWs 完成了一份经过验证的 29 项问卷，其中包括 18 项关于 LF 及其 PC 措施的知识和一项关于他们对 LF 知识的全球自我评估的项目。评估了问卷的心理测量学特性。进行了卡方检验和二元逻辑回归分析。在邀请的 435 名 HCWs 中，共有 400 名参加了这项研究（92%的应答率）。大多数参与者（51.8%）表现出 LF 知识不足，其中 62.9%的得分较低者对自己的 LF 知识有较高的自我认知，全球量表得分较高。这种 LF 知识高估是由 LF 培训状况预测的（优势比（OR）2.53；95%置信区间：1.49-4.30；p = 0.001）。研究参与者的 LF 知识水平及其 PC 措施较低（11.60±8.14，64.4%），由参与者的 LF 培训状况（OR 2.06；95%置信区间：1.19-3.57；p = 0.009）、工作地点（OR 1.82；95%置信区间：1.07-3.08；p = 0.03）和他们的职称（OR 2.40；95%置信区间：1.10-5.22；p = 0.03）预测。
调查的 HCWs 对 LF 及其 PC 措施的知识水平不理想，参与者的 LF 培训状况、工作地点和职业类别是显著的预测因素。此外，大多数 HCWs 在全球范围内对 LF 知识存在高估，这也由 LF 培训状况预测。因此，尼日利亚卫生当局急需优先对 HCWs 进行有关拉沙热等被忽视热带病的在职培训。
