Exploring the Knowledge and Preventive Practices on Isolation Precaution and Quarantine Among Health Care Workers in Ondo State, Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Since the outbreak of Ebola and Lassa Fever in many West African countries, infection prevention has become big business in hospitals and health care settings in affected countries. Emphasis has shifted from the routine prevention of cases to rapid identification of infection symptoms and timely initiation of transmission-based precautions in order to eliminate unnecessary exposure for health care staff, hospital visitors, and other patients. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to explore the knowledge and preventive practices on isolation precaution (IP) and quarantine among health care workers in selected health facilities in Ondo State in southwestern Nigeria. METHODS: Explorative cross sectional study among 800 health care workers in health facilities in Ondo State Nigeria, selected using multistage sampling method. Research instruments used were semi structured self administered pretested questionnaires. Data was analyzed using the SPSS software version 23.0. FINDINGS: Mean age of respondents was 34.5 ± 8.2 years, 144(18.0%) and 150(18.8%) had heard about isolation precaution and quarantine respectively. Only 82(10.3%) and 118(14.8%) had taken part or witnessed isolation or quarantine procedure respectively. While about 64.6% had good mean knowledge scores of universal precaution, only 7.6% and 10.8% had good knowledge score of isolation precaution and quarantine respectively. Gender, occupation and number of years in practice were statistically significant as associated with knowledge scores of IP and quarantine (p < 0.05). Predictors of good knowledge of IP and quarantine were being female and having spent more than 3 years in service as a health care worker. CONCLUSION: Poor knowledge of isolation precaution and quarantine was reported among studied respondents. Building the capacity of all health workers on this subject matter would foster this culture of reduction of transmission of infectious disease within and across our hospital settings.