Investigation of Knowledge, Attitude, and Performance Regarding Medical Waste Management among Personnel of Hospitals of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2014

Hospital wastes are very dangerous for the environment. The objective of this study was the investigation of knowledge, attitude and performance regarding medical waste management among the personnel of hospitals affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in hospitals affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 2014. The data collection tool was a 3-part researcher-made questionnaire about hospital waste management. Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney, Spearman rho’s coefficient correlation, and Cramér's V were used to analyze the collected data.
Findings: The findings showed that the staff’s knowledge and attitude was at a low level, but their performance was at a moderate level. Based on Kruskal-Wallis test results, there was no statistically significant relationship between personnel’s knowledge and participation in health courses.
Considering the low knowledge and attitude of staff in this study regarding hospital waste disposal management, holding training courses for staff to improve their knowledge and attitudes is recommended.