Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, and Factors Associated with Self-Ear Cleaning among Healthcare Workers in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Deoni Daniswara

doi:10.47650/jpp.v9i4.2844

Deoni Daniswara Otorhinolaryngology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.47650/jpp.v9i4.2844

Keywords: Attitudes, Cerumen, Health Knowledge, Practice

Abstract

Cerumen is a natural secretion that protects the ear, but it is often perceived as dirt, leading many people, including health workers, to self-clean their ears, which can cause injury if done excessively. This analytic cross-sectional study aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding self-ear cleaning and examine their association with sociodemographic characteristics among health workers at a hospital in Yogyakarta. A total of 150 health workers were recruited using consecutive sampling from January to March 2024, and data were collected using a structured, validated, and reliable questionnaire via Google Forms. Associations between sociodemographic characteristics and knowledge, attitude, and practice categories were analysed using the chi-square test. Most respondents were female (84.7%), had vocational education (59.3%), and worked as nurses (62.7%). The majority demonstrated good knowledge, positive attitudes, and good practices. Education level (p=0.003) and occupation (p=0.014) were significantly associated with knowledge. Gender was significantly associated with attitude (p=0.046), with a higher proportion of good attitude among women. Overall, health workers showed generally good knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward self-ear cleaning, with differences by education, occupation, and gender.

References

Bin Abdulrahman, K.A. et al. (2022) ‘Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of self-ear cleaning among the general population in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’, World Family Medicine Journal /Middle East Journal of Family Medicine, 20(11). Available at: https://doi.org/10.5742/MEWFM.2022.95251370.

Adegbiji, W.A., Olajide, T.G. and Nwawolo, C.C. (2018) ‘Patterns of Self Ear Cleaning Among Otorhinolaryngology Patients in Developing Country’, Asian Journal of Science and Technoogy, 9(4), pp. 7892–7896.

Adegbiji, W. et al. (2014) ‘Earwax impaction: Symptoms, predisposing factors and perception among Nigerians’, Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 3(4), p. 379. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4103/2249-4863.148116.

Adegbiji, W.A. et al. (2019) ‘A Study Profile of Self Ear Cleaning in Nigerian Rural Community’, International Journal of Recent Scientific Research, 10(D), pp. 30693–30695. Available at: https://doi.org/10.24327/IJRSR.

Adegbiji, W.A. and Olajide, G.T. (2017) ‘Pattern of Otalgia in Ekiti, Nigeria’, American Journal of Medical Sciences and Medicine, 5(3), pp. 56–61. Available at: https://doi.org/10.12691/ajmsm-5-3-4.

Alharbi, F.A. et al. (2022) ‘Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practice of ear care among Jazan general population, Saudi Arabia’, Egyptian Journal of Otolaryngology, 38(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s43163-022-00315-w.

Alshehri, A. et al. (2020) ‘Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of self-ear cleaning among medical and nonmedical students at King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia’, International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries, pp. 960–967. Available at: https://doi.org/10.24911/IJMDC.51-1584110722.

E Tobih, J. et al. (2021) ‘Self-ear Cleaning Practices and Hazards Among Undergraduates of a Private University in Nigeria’, Acta Scientific Medical Sciences, pp. 151–157. Available at: https://doi.org/10.31080/ASMS.2021.05.1107.

Haji, A. et al. (2021) ‘Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Self-ear Cleaning in Makkah Region, Cross-sectional Study’, Saudi Medical Horizons Journal, 1(1), pp. 26–33. Available at: https://doi.org/10.54293/smhj.v1i1.19.

Hauk, L. (2017) ‘Cerumen Impaction: An Updated Guideline from the AAO-HNSF.’, American family physician, 96(4), pp. 263–264.

Hobson, J.C. and Lavy, J.A. (2005) ‘Use and Abuse of Cotton Buds’, Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 98(8), pp. 360–361. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/014107680509800808.

Kalaitzi, S. et al. (2019) ‘Women, healthcare leadership and societal culture: a qualitative study’, Journal of Healthcare Leadership, Volume 11, pp. 43–59. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2147/JHL.S194733.

Khan, N.B., Thaver, S. and Govender, S.M. (2017) ‘Self-ear cleaning practices and the associated risk of ear injuries and ear-related symptoms in a group of university students’, Journal of Public Health in Africa [Preprint]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4081/jphia.2017.555.

Naila, N.N. et al. (2023) ‘Caregivers’ socio-cultural influences on health-seeking behavior for their wasted children among forcibly displaced Myanmar Nationals and their nearest host communities’, Frontiers in Nutrition, 10. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2023.1252657.

Oladeji, S.M. et al. (2015) ‘Knowledge of Cerumen and Effect of Ear Self-Cleaning among Health Workers in a Tertiary Hospital.’, Journal of the West African College of Surgeons, 5(2), pp. 117–133. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27830126.

Olaosun, A. (2014) ‘Self‑ear‑cleaning among educated young adults in Nigeria’, Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 3(1), p. 17. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4103/2249-4863.130262.

Oron, Y. et al. (2011) ‘Cerumen removal: Comparison of cerumenolytic agents and effect on cognition among the elderly’, Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 52(2), pp. 228–232. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2010.03.025.

Schwartz, S.R. et al. (2017) ‘Clinical Practice Guideline (Update): Earwax (Cerumen Impaction)’, Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, 156(S1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/0194599816671491.

Solheim, J., Shiryaeva, O. and Kvaerner, K.J. (2016) ‘Lack of ear care knowledge in nursing homes’, Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, Volume 9, pp. 481–488. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S113689.

Wang, X. and Cheng, Z. (2020) ‘Cross-Sectional Studies’, Chest, 158(1), pp. S65–S71. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2020.03.012.