Practices of Infection Prevention and Control among Primary Healthcare Workers and Associated Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background and Objective: Poor infection prevention and control (IPC) practices predispose healthcare workers (HCWs) to an increased risk of contracting infections. This study aimed to assess IPC practices and associated factors among primary healthcare workers in Calabar Municipal LGA, Cross River State. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study design was adopted for the study using a structured questionnaire to elicit information from 359 primary healthcare workers. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23, associations were tested using Chi-square statistics. Results: The majority respondents (67.3%) had a good level of IPC practice and (83.3%) reported the availability of IPC protocol. Perceived factors influencing compliance with IPC guidelines are lack of resources (78.6%), inadequate training (76.6%) and lack of support (72.7%). An association was found between experience and level of IPC practice (p = 0.000). The level of good practice increased with years of experience. An association was also found between personnel type and level of IPC practice (p = 0.001) with Poor IPC practices being more prevalent among the nurses. Conclusion: Despite the observed level of good practice, compliance with available IPC guidelines should be strictly monitored by administrators of primary healthcare facilities. There is also a need for regular training of health workers to facilitate their compliance with IPC guidelines.