Understanding healthcare workers' risk perception and response to healthcare waste in Arba Minch town, Ethiopia: application of the extended parallel process model.

INTRODUCTION

Risk perception involves subjective judgments about risk. The mismanagement of healthcare waste puts people and the environment at significant risk, including more than two million healthcare workers. Despite this, there are no studies in Ethiopia on the risk perception of health workers, and none studies globally have utilized a risk model in this context.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the risk perception of healthcare waste and its associated factors among healthcare workers in public hospitals in Arba Minch, South Ethiopia, in 2024 using extended parallel process model.

METHODS

An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 270 health workers. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data, which was then exported to SPSS version 26. T-test and ANOVA tests were conducted to compare the mean differences in perceptions among respondents’ characteristics and among attitudinal response (efficacy by threat interaction), while correlation analysis was used to assess the relationships among perceptions. Binary logistic regression was employed to identify significant factors affecting healthcare waste risk perception, using a p-value of 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval. The final model’s fitness was checked using the Hosmer and Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test.

RESULT

One hundred three respondents (39.5%) were classified as no-response, followed by 62 (23.6%) who were Responsive, 66 (25.3%) who were Proactive respondents, and 30 (11.6%) who were categorized as fear Control respondents. The danger-controlling response for healthcare workers (HCWs) was 108 (41.4%). Perceived self-efficacy was the lowest perception among HCWs (median = 55). Midwife respondents had lower odds (AOR: 0.132, CI: 0.039–0.44) of controlling the danger associated with HCW risks, while receiving a message from training (AOR: 3.17, CI: 1.052–9.59) moreover, having good knowledge (AOR: 3.46, CI: 1.49–8.02) increased odds of controlling danger of HCW risks.

CONCLUSIONS

The study revealed a low healthcare waste risk perception processing. The type of Profession, source of message, and level of knowledge were significantly associated with danger control response to HCW hazards. Training that incorporates both threat and efficacy messaging based on Risk Behavior Diagnosis scale assessment is recommended.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-025-13142-5.