Investigation of medical waste knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of health workers

Although healthcare services are vital for maintaining our health, life, and well-being, the waste generated during the provision of these services can be hazardous due to its high potential for disease transmission. Effective management and disposal of medical waste, along with necessary training and waste planning, should be prioritized. This study aims to examine healthcare workers' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding medical waste. The study was conducted as a cross-sectional descriptive research. The research involved a total of 484 participants. Of these, 53.9% were female and 46.1% were male. The majority of participants (49.8%) were in the middle-aged group, aged 32 and above. Most participants had a bachelor's degree, and 12.2% had postgraduate education. Regarding the distribution of roles, 86.8% of participants worked as healthcare professionals, with 58.9% having worked for 7 years or more, 22.7% having 4-6 years of experience, and 18.4% having worked for 3 years or less. In summary, the socio-demographic data of this study indicates that the participants in the healthcare field have diverse age groups, education levels, and experience levels. Additionally, it can be stated that women and experienced staff were predominant in the study. For the analysis of the data obtained, the SPSS 25 software was used. Frequency and percentage analysis were employed to determine the demographic characteristics. To assess the participant levels in the obtained scoring, average-standard deviation analysis was conducted. Central limit theorem and kurtosis-skewness analysis were performed to examine data distribution. Cronbach's Alpha analysis was used to test the reliability of the scale. To check whether the scale differed according to demographic parameters, independent T-tests and one-way Anova were conducted. A total of 484 healthcare workers were reached in the research, with 53.90% being female (n=261) and 46.10% male (n=223). According to the analysis results, there was no significant difference in demographic information regarding gender, age, education level, participant's role, and work experience. However, a significant difference was found between the participants' workplace and their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding medical waste.