title: Knowledge and practice of universal precautions among health care workers in four national hospitals in Kabul, Afghanistan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of health care workers (HCWs) towards universal precautions (UPs) and to look into any associations between knowledge and practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was undertaken between August and October 2012, involving 300 HCWs from four national public hospitals in Kabul, Afghanistan. A self-administered questionnaire assessing the knowledge and practice of UPs was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 300 respondents, the mean knowledge score was 5.2 with a standard deviation (SD) of 1.5. On the practice score, the mean was 8.7 (SD = 2.2). A total of 90.6% and 70.8% of HCWs believed that UPs were necessary in contact with urine/feces and tears, respectively, although UPs are not necessary in these cases. On the other hand, 57.8% reported that they always recapped the needle after giving an injection, and 31.8% did not always change gloves in between patients. There were no associations between the knowledge and self-reported practice of UPs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The HCWs in Kabul had inadequate knowledge and poor practice of UPs. Training for HCWs is needed to encourage them to adhere to practice based on improved knowledge.
authors.affiliation: Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan. dr.hafiz.fayaz@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Said Hafizullah
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Fayaz
authors.forename: Michiyo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Higuchi
authors.forename: Tomoya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirosawa
authors.forename: Mohammad Abul Bashar
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sarker
authors.forename: Zakhro
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Djabbarova
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hamajima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000346:Afghanistan; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D057566:Self Report; D016635:Universal Precautions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult