Prediction of Preventive Behaviors of the Needlestick Injuries during Surgery among Operating Room Personnel: Application of the Health Belief Model

BACKGROUND: Operating room personnel are at high risk of needlestick injuries (NSIs) and exposure to blood and body fluids. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the predictors of NSIs preventive behaviors during surgery among operating room personnel based on a health belief model (HBM). METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 128 operating room personnel in Hamadan, western Iran. Participants were selected, by census sampling, from teaching hospitals, completed a self-reported questionnaire including demographic characteristics, knowledge and HBM constructs. RESULTS: The levels of knowledge and perceived self-efficacy for the NSIs preventive behaviors among operating room personnel were not satisfactory. However, the levels of perceived benefits, susceptibility and severity were reported to be relatively good. The results showed that the perceived susceptibility (β ‑0.627) and cues to action (β 0.695) were the most important predictors of the NSIs preventive behaviors. CONCLUSION: The framework of the HBM is useful to predict the NSIs preventive behaviors among operating room personnel.