Adherence to Infection Prevention and Control Practices Among Primary Healthcare Workers in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Healthcare-associated infections remain a major challenge in healthcare settings. The burden is high in low- and middle-income countries, where adherence to infection prevention and control (IPC) practices is often low. This study assessed adherence to infection prevention and control practices among primary healthcare workers in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 384 primary healthcare workers. Health workers were selected from primary healthcare facilities in Lafia Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, using a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire adapted from validated IPC assessment tools. The instrument assessed socio-demographic characteristics and adherence to IPC practices. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise variables. Chi-square tests were used to determine associations between variables at a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: The majority of respondents were female (63.5%), aged 21–34 years (44.5%), married (63.3%), and held a Bachelor’s degree (57.3%). Most participants were nurses (26.0%) and midwives (24.7%), while 50.0% had 1–5 years of work experience. Furthermore, 60.2% of respondents had received formal IPC training. Assessment of adherence revealed that 51.0% of healthcare workers demonstrated poor adherence to IPC practices, 6.5% had moderate adherence, and 42.4% exhibited high adherence. Although variations in adherence were observed across different socio-demographic groups, statistical analysis showed no significant association between sex (χ² = 1.459, p = 0.482), age (χ² = 7.149, p = 0.521), marital status (χ² = 11.845, p = 0.158), educational attainment (χ² = 11.283, p = 0.186), religion (χ² = 3.223, p = 0.780), professional position (χ² = 15.960, p = 0.456), years of practice (χ² = 10.138, p = 0.119), and adherence to IPC practices. Conclusion: Adherence to IPC practices among primary healthcare workers in Lafia was generally poor, with more than half of the respondents demonstrating inadequate compliance with recommended IPC measures. Socio-demographic characteristics did not influence adherence levels. This suggests that factors beyond personal characteristics may be responsible for poor compliance. The study recommends strengthening regular IPC training, ensuring the availability of IPC resources, improving supportive supervision, and addressing workforce shortages to improve adherence and patient safety in primary healthcare facilities.