A Cross-sectional Study of Health Care Workers' Knowledge Attitude and Practice on Retinopathy of Prematurity at Selected Newborn Units Within Nairobi County

Abstract

Study background Premature babies are affected by a proliferative condition of the retinal vasculature called retinopathy of prematurity. There is a narrow window for treating babies with ROP and as such timely screening is paramount. Knowledge, attitude, and practice of ROP among health workers is important to tackle this problem. Study objective The study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practice on ROP among health workers in the NBUs within Nairobi County. Study Designs and Methods This was a cross-sectional study conducted across hospitals in Nairobi County, targeting healthcare workers including medical officers, nurses, clinical officers, pediatricians, and pediatric residents. It was carried out in March of 2024.Participants completed a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 26. The analyzed data was presented in the form of frequencies and percentages for categorical data and means and standard deviation for continuous data. Results The participants in the study were 142 workers with a 96.5% participation rate. Most (90.14%) of them were from government hospitals. Majority (61.27%) were nurses. The knowledge of ROP was low with an average score of 51.6%. Majority (96.5%) knew that ROP is treatable and preventable. Majority (78.1%) knew of at least 1 risk factor for ROP. Most (87.3%) were aware of national guidelines for screening of ROP but only 15.3% had read it. Majority (63.9%) regularly referred/recommend premature infants for screening. Majority (82.4%) ‘strongly agreed’ that prevention of ROP is important in reducing childhood blindness. Conclusion Generally, levels of knowledge of ROP were low, however, participants had good awareness of some risk factors of ROP and knew that ROP was preventable and treatable. Few participants had read national guidelines on ROP, leading to inadequate knowledge in crucial areas like screening timing and treatment. Participants presented with positive attitudes towards ROP but inconsistent practices.