Knowledge, attitudes and practices of biosafety of students majoring in the area of health UNAH held in the university town in 2013

Abstract

This study identifies the biological, chemical and physical risks to which students from health related careers are exposed to, as well as the knowledge students have of these risks and the practice of bio-safety during the teaching-learning process. It also relates knowledge to the risk perception used by students from different career in preventive practices. A questionnaire was used to gather the information about preventive measures, risk perception, administrative controls and engineering controls.

About 83% of the students are able to identify biological risks and 5% identify the chemical risks. Approximately 58% of the students know how to get rid of biochemical waste, and 70% identify the HIV as a virus that is transmitted by bodily fluids. Only 37% of the students use red bags to get rid of the waste. Nearly 89% of the students consider that health professionals are more exposed to biological risks than other career professionals. There is an adequate risk perception, of 84% who consider themselves in risk of contracting a disease in the teaching-learning process. There is a direct relationship between what students know about the risks they are exposed to in their career and the preventive practices they perform. There was no relationship found between the risk perception of getting infected during the teaching-learning process and the implementation of preventive measures.

Revista Ciencia y Tecnología No. 17, December 2015 pp.46-67