Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Osmangazi Tıp Dergisi, cilt.45, sa.2, ss.269-274, 2023 (Hakemli Dergi)
Detecting knowledge and behavioral approaches of all health care providers involved in the process of biomedical waste sorting and reduction and exposing their weaknesses in the process can facilitate the planning of more effective corrective methods. A total of 757 participants (368 professional health care workers, 389 5th and 6th grades biomedical students) received a questionnaire with a total of 35 questions aimed at identifying attitudes and behaviors regarding both theoretical knowledge and separation of biomedical wastes. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods. The rate of education on the subject was over 85% in both groups. Likewise, the positive response to the need for separation and reduction of biomedical wastes at their sources was over 95% in both groups. However, the current results indicated that 85.4% of professional health workers but only 57% of biomedical students were involved in the separation process of biomedical wastes. While the participants were strongest in separation of “biomedical wastes”, they were weakest in separation of “hazardous wastes”. When they were hesitant to separate the wastes, they preferred to dispose of all the wastes as “biomedical wastes”. The present results suggest that regardless of professional health workers or biomedical students, everyone involved in waste production should receive continued and updated education regarding waste to ensure required change in behavior of participants toward waste separation. Practical application processes must be supervised and measurable according to certain standards. Assessments of these measurements can help plan corrective approaches.