Introduction: Traditional birth attendants (TBAs) are an essential component of the social, cultural, and religious fabric of many Nigerian communities. For care throughout pregnancy and labor, they are generally acknowledged and used. They play a significant role in maternal and child health, and their practice of perinatal infection control is important in ensuring healthy childbirth. The study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitude of TBAs about infection prevention and control in Nigeria.
Methods: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study design conducted among two hundred TBAs in Ede town, Osun State. A multistage sampling technique was used and structured questionnaires were administered to all eligible and consenting TBAs. Data were processed using IBM SPSS version 25. The data was presented using frequency distribution tables, graphs and charts while statistical significance was determined at p <0.05.
Result: The majority (n= 185; 93.9%) of the respondents had heard of infection control practices. Most (n=131; 66.0%) had overall good knowledge about infection prevention and control measures while about a third (n=66; 34.0%) had poor knowledge regarding infection control measures. Also, 122(62.0%) of the respondents had a positive attitude towards infection control practice while 75(38.0%) had a negative attitude.
Conclusion: Traditional birth attendants in this study had a high level of knowledge of the mode of transmission and risk factors for infections during birth but were deficient in appropriate and clinically proven preventive measures. Overall, most of the respondents had good knowledge and all the tested demographic characteristics (including age, sex, level of education, and years of practice) were significantly associated with their knowledge about infection control practices.
