Table 2. Risk perception towards healthcare waste (n = 270).
| Statements | Strongly Agree | Agree | Neutral | Disagree | Strongly Disagree |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All health care wastes are hazardous* | 69 (25.6) | 62 (23.0) | 22 (8.1) | 101 (37.4) | 16 (5.9) |
| Liquid waste (blood and body fluid) is harmful | 138 (51.1) | 113 (41.9) | 16 (5.9) | 3 (1.1) | 0 (0.0) |
| Children are more at risk as they may play with discarded syringe/needles | 104 (38.5) | 151 (55.9) | 9 (3.3) | 6 (2.3) | 0 (0.0) |
| Throwing used cotton and gauges outside hospital is harmful | 84 (31.1) | 153 (56.7) | 16 (5.9) | 17 (6.3) | 0 (0.0) |
| Recyclable products from HCW may not spread disease in the population | 12 (4.5) | 76 (28.1) | 84 (31.1) | 77 (28.5) | 21 (7.8) |
| Sharps waste cannot be dangerous to human health* | 7 (2.6) | 11 (4.1) | 9 (3.3) | 131 (48.5) | 112 (41.5) |
| Storing waste inside for longer period creates foul smell | 137 (50.7) | 127 (47.0) | 2 (0.7) | 3 (1.2) | 1 (0.4) |
| Waste treatment leads to decrease in volume, weight and risk of infectivity | 42 (15.6) | 173 (64.1) | 50 (18.5) | 4 (1.4) | 1 (0.4) |
| Animals like dogs visiting the disposal sites spread diseases to community | 101 (37.4) | 155 (57.4) | 7 (2.6) | 7 (2.6) | 0 (0.0) |
| Hospital incinerator is one of the source of air pollution | 78 (28.9) | 124 (45.9) | 54 (20.0) | 13 (4.8) | 1 (0.4) |
| Infectious waste may not transmit HIV/AIDS* | 9 (3.3) | 68 (25.2) | 64 (23.7) | 94 (34.8) | 35 (13.0) |
| Infectious waste may transmit hepatitis B and C | 32 (11.9) | 105 (38.9) | 109 (40.4) | 19 (7.0) | 5 (1.8) |
| Expired drugs can have negative health effects | 115 (42.6) | 125 (46.3) | 21 (7.8) | 7 (2.6) | 2 (0.7) |
| Improperly managed health care waste may cause cancer in future | 31 (11.5) | 160 (59.3) | 66 (24.4) | 12 (4.4) | 1 (0.4) |
| Improperly managed waste may contaminate water source | 104 (38.5) | 150 (55.6) | 5 (1.9) | 10 (3.6) | 1 (0.4) |
| Improperly managed waste may not contaminate soil* | 7 (2.6) | 35 (13.0) | 22 (8.1) | 158 (58.5) | 48 (17.8) |
| Healthcare wastes are generally mixed with solid waste | 11 (4.1) | 73 (27.0) | 47 (17.4) | 134 (49.6) | 5 (1.9) |
| Mixing healthcare waste with solid waste is harmful | 61 (22.6) | 150 (55.6) | 33 (12.2) | 26 (9.6) | 0 (0.0) |
| Residences nearby hospitals are suffering more health effects than others | 73 (27.0) | 160 (59.3) | 14 (5.2) | 22 (8.1) | 1 (0.4) |
Figure in parenthesis are in percentage
*Reverse statement