title: Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1): knowledge among senior health workers at a secondary health care institution in Southwest, Nigeria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted to assess the level of knowledge of influenza A (H1N1) infection among health care workers in a secondary health care facility in Osogbo, Southwest Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  A structured questionnaire assessing participants'knowledge of swine influenza viruses, mode of transmission, clinical criteria, primary prevention, indications for emergency care, care of affected persons and ongoing pandemic of Influenza A H1N1 was hand-delivered to all senior health care workers working in the hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the respondents was 40.4±9.6 years. The majority (59.3%) were females. Television (73.6%) radio (61.5%), newspapers (44%), other health workers (31.9%), and internet (15.4%) were the main sources of information about influenza A H1N1. Nearly all (92.3%) felt that their source of information about the disease was inadequate. About half (51.6%) knew the virus can be transmitted from one person to another. Majority identified correctly the symptoms of infected victims such as fever (83.5%), and runny nose (79.1%). Most (87.9%) identified hand washing with soap and water as a mode of preventing transmission. Most (83.5%) felt an infected person should be isolated while very few knew oseltamivir (13.2%) and zanamivir (17.6%) are drugs to treat. Multivariate linear regression analysis identified, male sex (p=0.029), internet as a source of information (p=0.029) and knowledge of prevention of H1N1 (p= 0.005) as factors that were significantly associated with a high knowledge score on the current pandemic.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a need to provide comprehensive information to health workers on the current pandemic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Medical Statistics and Environmental Health, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. akinfati@yahoo.com
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Fatiregun
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Olowookere
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Oyebade
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D058873:Pandemics; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires