Occupational Nosocomial Infections among Healthcare Workers in a Philippine Private Hospital: Incidence and Infection-Prevention Risk Factors
Rasida Macabangon, Vanessa Mae Abarquez, Nosairah Usman, Mark Alipio
Received: 12 September 2025; Revised: 12 October 2025; Accepted: 10 November 2025; Published: 16 November 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.66074/8K2L9M4N
Abstract
This analytic cross-sectional study estimated the incidence of nosocomial infection and examined modifiable infection-prevention risk factors among 68 HCWs in ancillary departments of a private tertiary hospital in Iligan City, Philippines. Self-administered questionnaires captured sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities, hand hygiene compliance, personal protective equipment (PPE) use, and physician-diagnosed nosocomial infection in the preceding 12 months. Fourteen HCWs (20.6%) reported at least one nosocomial infection. Infection prevalence was higher among those with comorbidities (60.0%), suboptimal hand hygiene (50.0%), and inconsistent PPE use (35.0%) than among their counterparts. In multivariable logistic regression adjusting for age and sex, comorbidity (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 15.2, 95% CI [2.3, 102.1]), suboptimal hand hygiene (aOR = 10.9, 95% CI [2.9, 40.7]), and inconsistent PPE use (aOR = 3.7, 95% CI [1.1, 13.0]) were independently associated with infection. Findings underscore the vulnerability of HCWs in ancillary services and highlight the need for robust, multimodal infection-prevention strategies that integrate behavioral, organizational, and occupational-health interventions.
Keywords: comorbidity, hand hygiene, nosocomial infection, personal protective equipment
Author Information: Iligan Medical Center College, Iligan, Philippines; [email protected]
Volume 2, Issue 1, March 2026