Healthcare workers’ compliance with COVID-19 preventive and control measures at De Martino Hospital, Mogadishu, Somalia: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Abstract Background Healthcare workers are a high-risk group for COVID-19 and protecting them is crucial for healthcare delivery. Limited studies have explored compliance with infection prevention and control (IPC) practices among Somali healthcare workers. This study aimed to determine compliance with IPC practices among healthcare workers in De Martino Public Hospital, Somalia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at De Martino Public Hospital, Mogadishu, Somalia from August to October 2022, with the participation of 204 healthcare workers (response rate = 97%). Compliance was assessed using responses to 25 questions on a five-point Likert-type scale, and a median score of 20 was used to dichotomize compliance scores. A chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were performed to check the associations between healthcare workers’ sociodemographic information, related factors to IPC, work conditions and practices on COVID-19, and IPC compliance during healthcare interventions using SPSS 23 version. Results In total, 58.3% of the participants had good compliance with IPC. There were significant associations between IPC compliance and the type of healthcare worker (doctors and doctor assistants: 72.3%, nurses and paramedical staff: 67.3%, non-clinical staff: 5.7%, p < 0.01). After adjusting for potential confounding factors, compared to non-clinical staff, doctors and doctor assistants (OR: 12.11, 95% CI: 2.23–65.84) and nurses and paramedical staff (OR: 21.38, 95% CI: 4.23–108.01) had higher compliance with infection prevention and control measures. There were no significant associations between compliance and sex, marital status, vaccination status, or smoking (p > 0.05 for all). Conclusions Inadequate compliance with COVID-19 IPC measures was observed among hospital workers. Prioritizing awareness campaigns and behavior change interventions, especially among non-clinical staff, is crucial for effective COVID-19 infection prevention and control within hospitals.