Community Awareness of Home Sharps Containers: A Descriptive Survey

Abstract

The techniques for discarding sharps used by individuals at home have been poorly documented. This has resulted in the dangerous disposal of sharps in the community, which raises concerns for public health and environmental health. The aim of this study is to assess patients' awareness about the appropriate way of discarding injection products at home as a health-promotion tool. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using a 15-questions survey, which was distributed electronically between January 26 and February 16, 2020. A total of 578 participants completed the questionnaire, and 61.1% of the respondents indicated that they throw away their sharps directly into the public trash. It appears that 37.5% of the respondents have inadequate information about the proper way of disposing of the injection sharps, which indicates a lack of communication between the individuals and their healthcare providers. Furthermore, 33% of them experience at least one needlestick injury yearly. According to these data, there is a lack of awareness about the proper disposal of sharps. Medical waste is easily underestimated by individuals, which can lead to a negative impact on the community.