Factors that affect waste classification in an ecuadorian public hospital

Abstract

The waste generated in health facilities during the development of health activities contains potential risks, and its improper management leads to serious consequences for the health of the hospital community, the personnel responsible for external waste management, the population and the environment. The knowledge and practice of health personnel are, among others, the elements that could influence waste management. In order to evaluate the factors that affect the classification of waste generated in the Basic Hospital of El Carmen, a descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out in 50 workers including medical personnel, nurses, nursing assistants and cleaning staff; using the interview technique with 2 validated instruments, “Evaluative Inventory of Knowledge on Hospital Solid Waste Management (IECMRSH)” and the “Self-Reference Questionnaire on Staff Practices in Hospital Solid Waste Management (CAPPMRSH)”. The results showed that most of the participants were women, with an average age of 31 years, having been working in the hospital for 1 to 5 years. In relation to the knowledge of the workers on the management of hospital waste, it was of an optimal level in the dimension of conditioning (65.57%), at the level of regular, the knowledge predominated on storage (63.30%). Practices were mostly good. The relationship between knowledge and practices in waste management was observed to be significant in the aspects of conditioning and primary storage, indicating a direct linear relationship between the level of knowledge in conditioning and the level of practices, i.e., the higher the level of knowledge (optimal), the higher the level of practice (good).