Page 214 - AJWEP-22-5

Suram, et al.

Table 2. Knowledge of the participants in BMWM
No. Knowledge item n (%) p‑value
Doctors Nurses Others Subtotal
(total=41) (total=50) (total=72) (total=163)
1 Have you received any training for BMWM? 27 (65.9) 32 (64.0) 47 (65.3) 106 (65.0) 0.981
2 Is there any hazard related to BMWM? 34 (82.9) 38 (76.0) 49 (68.1) 121 (74.2) 0.208
3 Do you know the symbol for biohazard? 40 (97.6) 46 (92.0) 60 (83.3) 146 (89.6) 0.047
4 The most important aspect of BMWM is segregation. 41 (100) 49 (98.0) 69 (95.8) 159 (97.5) 0.376
5 PEP can be taken at any time. 20 (48.8) 22 (44.0) 35 (48.6) 77 (47.2) 0.859
6 Do you know about segregation based on the 38 (92.7) 44 (88.0) 64 (88.9) 146 (89.6) 0.743
color-coding system?
7 Do you know that the general waste is to be collected in 15 (36.6) 16 (32.0) 12 (16.7) 43 (26.4) 0.039
a yellow bin?
8 Wearing PPE reduces the risk of infection. 41 (100) 47 (94.0) 69 (95.8) 157 (96.3) 0.305
9 Do you know that the maximum storage time for 35 (85.4) 42 (84.0) 63 (87.5) 140 (85.9) 0.856
untreated waste is 2 days or 48 h?
10 Yellow bags are treated by incineration. 31 (75.6) 38 (76.0) 62 (86.1) 128 (78.5) 0.259
Abbreviations: BMWM: Biomedical waste management; HCWs: Healthcare workers; PEP: Post-exposure prophylaxis; PPE: Personal
protective equipment.

Table3. Knowledge of HCWs among different occupations of health care professionals in BMWM
Occupation (n) Knowledge about BMWM, n (%) p‑value
Very poor Poor Average Good Excellent
Doctors (41) 0 (0) 0 (0) 5 (12.1) 25 (60.9) 11 (26.8) 0.131
Nurses (50) 0 (0) 2 (4.0) 8 (16.0) 30 (60.0) 10 (20.0)
Others (72) 0 (0) 2 (2.7) 22 (30.5) 30 (41.6) 18 (25.0)
Total 0 (0) 4 (2.5) 35 (21.5) 85 (52.1) 39 (23.9)
Abbreviation: BMWM: Biomedical waste management; HCWs: Healthcare workers.

Table 4. Association between place of work and knowledge of BMWM
Place of work Knowledge about BMWM (n) Total, n Chi‑square p‑value
Very poor Poor Average Good Excellent (%)
Village 0 3 21 29 8 61 (37.4) 27.41 0.001
Town/mandal headquarters 0 1 9 33 8 51 (31.3)
Municipal/municipal corporation 0 0 5 23 23 51 (31.3)
Abbreviations: BMWM: Biomedical waste management.

express concern about the adverse effects of BMW on for reporting injuries and accidents. A large majority
public health (mean score = 3.87). Overall, the study (83%) reported maintaining BMW records at the point
found that HCWs showed a generally positive attitude of generation. In addition, 94% of participants followed
toward BMWM (Table 6). proper color-coding practices for waste segregation, and
87% reported using PPE while handling BMW. A point
3.3. Practice assessment of concern is that 18% of HCWs reported not following
Regarding actual practices, 80% to 90% of doctors, post-exposure prophylaxis protocols after experiencing
nurses, and other HCWs reported adherence to best needle-stick or percutaneous injuries. Most participants
practices in BMWM (Table 7). However, 17% of (85%) disposed of non-infectious waste in black
respondents indicated the absence of a formal system containers, consistent with standard guidelines.

Volume 22 Issue 5 (2025) 208 doi: 10.36922/AJWEP025090058