Work

Behaviour change intervention to reduce caregivers’ exposure to patients’ oral and nasal secretions in Bangladesh

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: Family caregivers are at risk for acquiring Nipah virus from patients in Bangladesh through exposure to patients' respiratory secretions.We conducted a formative study to assess the acceptability and feasibility of behaviour change messages to reduce this exposure in a hospital in Bangladesh.We delivered a bar of soap with behaviour change messages to caregivers asking them to: 1) wash hands with soap at key times; 2) not eat patient's leftover food; 3) sleep with their back to the patient or with the patient's face to their chest; and 4) maintain more than one hand's distance between patient's and caregiver's faces.Structured observations and semi-structured interviews with caregivers were used to assess acceptability and feasibility.Caregivers of 15 patients were enrolled.We observed an 172 opportunities for caregivers to wash their hands, and in 20 (12%) of these opportunities caregivers washed hands with soap.Caregivers cited an inability to leave a severely ill patient unattended and lack of access to water as barriers to handwashing.Caregivers abstained from sharing food with patients in 82% (61/74) of observations with an opportunity to do so, and followed our sleeping suggestions in 88% (113/128).In only 12% (40/336) of observation sessions did the caregiver keep their face more than one hand's distance from the patient's.Behavioural messages regarding sleeping position and foodsharing were both acceptable and feasible; maintaining a distance from the patient was neither.Handwashing was acceptable, but not feasible.Interventions to target this at-risk group should include improved access to handwashing stations.

Source: International journal of infection control

DOI: 10.3396/ijic.v9i2.017.13