Gender Disparities and Practice Gaps in Healthcare Waste Management among Gombe State Health Workers

Healthcare waste poses a significant public health risks due to the potential exposure of humans and animals to hazardous materials from healthcare facilities. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of health workers regarding waste management in Gombe State, Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study and was conducted from January to October 2020. A total of 271 healthcare workers were selected from 17 healthcare facilities using a stratified random sampling technique. Data was collected using a structured interviewing questionnaire. The data was analyzed using IBM SPSS statistical software version 20.0. The level of significance was determined at p≤0.05. It was found that male participants demonstrated significantly more positive attitudes towards healthcare waste management (88.8% vs 76.4%, p=0.008) and perceived all waste as infectious (91.4% vs 83.5%, p=0.018) compared to their female counterparts. Furthermore, there was no significant association between knowledge of risks associated with improper waste management among male and female participants (72.5% vs 62.7%); χ²=1.15; p=0.192, awareness of infection exposure (89.4% vs 83.6%); χ²=2.26; p=0.069 and level of personnel training on healthcare waste management (89.4% vs 83.6%); χ²=1.96; p= 0.113 among male and female participants, respectively. While overall KAP levels were high, significant gender disparities in attitudes necessitate tailored interventions alongside continued training and policy reinforcement.