Knowledge, attitude and practices [KAP] of healthcare workers in the Free State, South Africa regarding type 2 diabetes mellitus

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Date
2016-06
Authors
Hassan, Charmaine Elizabeth
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University of the Free State
Abstract
English: The quality of care and the implementation strategies used by health care workers (HCWs) in diabetes care is imperative. The implementation strategies used are determined by the knowledge, attitude and practice of the HCWs, which have an impact on quality of service delivery for adult diabetes patients. The design involved a descriptive, cross-sectional quantitative design with a structured questionnaire as data collection technique. The population consisted of three prominent groups of HCWs (Nurse Managers, Professional Nurses and Community Health Care Workers) providing care to T2DM patients in the public health sector in the Free State. Convenient selection of the three categories of HCWs per Community Health Care centre from the five districts in the Free State and Primary Health Care clinics, from Mangaung district only, took place. Community Health Care Workers’ knowledge was tested on a set of 22 items with Nurse Managers and Professional Nurses being tested on an additional 14 items for a maximum of 36. Nurse Managers and Professional Nurses showed moderately high knowledge scores, with the lower quartile of 22 still being well above the 50% mark of 18 (out of 36). The median was 23, which does indicate however, that there is still much room for improvement. Community Health Care Workers knowledge scores ranged from 7 to 20, a higher median of 14, and an interquartile range of 11 to 16. Attitudes scoring was constructed in such a way that a score of zero would indicate an equal mix of positive and negative attitude items, and the higher the score above zero (up to +18), the more positive the attitude, and the lower the score below zero (down to -18), the more negative the attitude. The same attitude scale was used for all HCWs. The Nurse Managers and Professional Nurses displayed the most positive attitudes, with a minimum of only -4, and a maximum of 16. More importantly, the median was 12.5, and the lower quartile score was still a moderately positive 9.5. The attitude scores of the Community Health Care Workers CHWs was more positive, with a median of 7 and an interquartile range from 1 to 10 (although the lowest attitude score was still -11). Practice scores were calculated with different item sets for each of the three groups, related to their differing roles and responsibilities. Nurse Managers and Professional Nurses could obtain scores from 0 to 16, with higher scores indicating better practices, and Community Health Care Workers a score for 0 to 28. . Nurse Managers and Professional Nurses showed good practice scores, with a low of 6 and a high of 15 (out of 16), and a median of 12. For the Community Health Care Workers, the practice scores were moderately high, with a minimum of 5, but a maximum of 28 (out of 28). The median here was 16, and the interquartile range from 10 to 21. Recommendations were packaged according to knowledge, attitude and practice namely: Training was recommended to improve the knowledge of HCWs The Provincial Department of Health should create platforms to explore value clarifications with all HCWs, and Nurse Managers responsible for chronic diseases should build into the monitoring and evaluation instruments a section providing the opportunity for HCW to identify elements that influence their practice.
Afrikaans: Die gehalte van die sorg en die implementering strategieë wat deur gesondheidswerkers (GHWs) in die sorg van diabetes gebruik word, is noodsaaklik. Die implementeringstrategieë wat gebruik word, word bepaal deur die kennis, houding en praktyk van die GHWs, wat weer 'n impak het op die kwaliteit van die diens wat aan volwassene diabetes pasiënte gelewer word. ’n Dwarssnit kwantitatiewe, beskrywende ontwerp is vir die navorsing gebruik, en ’n gestruktureerde vraelys is as data-insamelingstegniek aangewend. Die populasie het uit drie prominente groepe GHWs bestaan (Verpleegbestuurders, Professionele Verpleegkundiges en Gemeenskapsgesondheidswerkers) wat almal betrokke is by die sorgverlening aan pasiënte wat met T2DM in die publieke gesondheidsorgsektor van die Vrystaat versorg word. ’n Gerieflikheidsteekproef is op die drie kategorieë GHWs uitgevoer in die Gemeenskapsgesondheidsentrums van die vyf distrikte van die Vrystaat en die Primêre gesondheidsorgklinieke in die Mangaung-distrik. Gemeenskapsgesondheidswerkers se kennis is getoets op grond van 22 items, terwyl Verpleeg Bestuurders en Professionele Verpleegkundiges se kennis ook op ’n addisionele 14 items getoets is, om ’n maksimum telling van 36 te bereik. Verpleegbestuurders en Professionele Verpleegkundiges het ’n redelike hoë kennis telling gehad, met die laer kwartiel van 22 wat steeds hoër as die 50% punt uit 18 (van moontlike 36) was. Die mediaan was 23, wat ’n aanduiding is dat daar steeds ruimte vir verbetering is. Gemeenskapsgesondheidswerkers se kennis telling was tussen 7 en 20, ’n hoër mediaan van 14 en ’n interkwartiel-reikwydte tussen 11 en 16. Houding se toetsing is op so ’n wyse gestruktureer dat ’n telling van nul aangedui het dat positiewe en negatiewe houdingsitems gelyk met mekaar opgeweeg het. Hoe hoër die telling bo nul (tot +18), hoe meer positief is die houding en hoe laer die telling onder nul (tot -18), hoe meer negatief is die houding. Dieselfde skaal is vir alle GHWs gebruik. Die Verpleegbestuurders en Professionele Verpleegkundiges het die mees positiewe houding geopenbaar, met ’n minimum van slegs -4 en ’n maksimum van 16. Die mediaan was 12.5 en die laer kwartiel telling was gematigd positief op 9.5. Die houding tellings van die Gemeenskapsgesondheidswerkers was meer positief met ’n mediaan van 7 en ’n interkwartiel-reikwydte tussen 1 en 10 (hoewel die laagste houdingstelling -11 was). Praktyk tellings se hoeveelheid items het vir elk van die drie groepe GHWs verskil, aangesien die items die spesifieke groep se verantwoordelikhede weerspieël het. Verpleeg Bestuurders en Professionele Verpleegkundiges kon tellings van 0 tot 16 verkry, met hoor tellings wat op beter praktyk dui. Gemeenskaps-gesondheidswerkers se telling kon varieer tussen 0 en 28. Verpleegbestuurders en Professionele Verpleegkundiges het goeie praktyk tellings getoon, met ’n lae telling van 6 en ’n hoë telling van 15 (uit 16), met ’n mediaan van 12. Gemeenskapsgesondheidswerkers se praktyk telling was redelik hoog, met ’n minimum van 5 en maksimum van 28 (uit 28). Die mediaan was 16 en die interkwartiel-reikwydte tussen 10 en 21. Aanbevelings is soos volg uiteengesit volgens kennis, houding en praktyk: Opleiding is aanbeveel om die kennis van GHWs te verbeter; die Provinsiale Departement van Gesondheid moet platforms skep om waarde verklaring met alle GHWs te ondersoek; en Verpleegbestuurders, wat verantwoordelik is vir chroniese siektes, moet in die monitering- en evalueringsinstrumente ’n afdeling invoeg waar GHWs die geleentheid gebied word om elemente te identifiseer wat hul praktyke kan beïnvloed.
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Keywords
Dissertation (M.Soc.Sc. (Nursing))--University Free State, 2016, Diabetes, Health care teams -- Attitudes, Community health services -- South Africa -- Free State, Community health nursing -- South Africa -- Free State
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