Knowledge, Attitudes and Factors associated with Personal Protective Equipment Use Among Coffee Processing Factory Workers in Kibinge Sub-County, Bukomansimbi District, Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Ivan Ssebandeke; Aloysius  Ssennyonjo

doi:10.51168/sjhrafrica.v7i2.2737

Authors

Ivan Ssebandeke Department of Health Policy Planning and Management, Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda.
Aloysius Ssennyonjo Department of Health Policy Planning and Management, Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51168/sjhrafrica.v7i2.2737

Keywords:

personal protective equipment, occupational safety, coffee processing, Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) study, Uganda, Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Background:

Workers in coffee processing factories are routinely exposed to occupational hazards, including dust, noise, machinery, and chemical agents. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) use is a critical last-resort control measure in mitigating occupational injuries and exposures, yet its uptake in low-income industrial settings remains poorly documented. This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) concerning PPE use among coffee processing factory workers in Kibinge Sub-County, Bukomansimbi District, Uganda, and identified factors associated with good PPE use practices.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study design with quantitative data collection methods was employed. A total of 158 workers were recruited from 15 coffee processing factories using proportionate and simple random sampling. Data were collected using a structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire embedded in Kobo Collect and analysed using STATA 14, with univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses performed.

Results:

The majority of participants (72.2%) were male, with a mean age of 30.97 years (SD 8.73). Most workers (66.5%) demonstrated good knowledge of PPE, while 51.9% had a positive attitude towards its use. Good PPE practices were reported by 55.1% of participants. In multivariate analysis, four factors were independently associated with good PPE practices: good knowledge (AOR=3.91; 95% CI: 2.36–9.87; p<0.001), positive attitude (AOR=0.27 for negative attitude; 95% CI: 0.12–0.60; p=0.002), temporary employment status (AOR=0.38; 95% CI: 0.17–0.85; p=0.018), and tertiary/university education (AOR=7.83; 95% CI: 1.09–56.14; p=0.040). The majority of workers (70.3%) were responsible for providing their own PPE, and 60.8% had never received any PPE training.

Conclusion:

While knowledge and attitudes were generally favourable, PPE practices remained suboptimal. The study underscores the need for employer-led PPE provision, structured training, and stronger enforcement of Uganda’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (2006) in agricultural processing industries.

Author Biographies

Ivan Ssebandeke, Department of Health Policy Planning and Management, Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda.

is a first-class graduate of a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Health Science from Makerere University, with strong competencies in public health research, data analysis, and monitoring and evaluation. He has worked on numerous Research projects at Makerere University School of Public Health, supporting qualitative and mixed-methods studies across urban and informal settings, and as a Surveillance Officer with the World Health Organization Uganda during the 2025 Ebola Virus Disease outbreak response. He is actively engaged with the Youth in Evaluation Initiative (EvalYouth Global Network) and the Complexity, Innovative Research and Evaluation Methodologies (CIREM) Hub, and is a founding member and team lead of Launchpad Health Hub, a youth-led initiative advancing community health through public health research and local innovation. His research interests centre on environmental and occupational health, health equity, monitoring and evaluation, and health systems research, with a focus on generating locally relevant evidence to strengthen Health Systems in Africa and beyond.

Aloysius Ssennyonjo , Department of Health Policy Planning and Management, Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda.

Ssennyonjo (MBChB, MSc, PGDME, PhD) is a Senior Lecturer at Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) and Academic Coordinator of the Master of Public Health Monitoring and Evaluation programme since 2019. With over 12 years of professional experience.

References

(ILO) ILO. Nearly 3 million people die of work-related accidents and diseases. Geneva: ILO. November, 2023

Takala J, Hämäläinen P, Sauni R, Nygård C-H, Gagliardi D, Neupane S. Global-, regional-and country-level estimates of the work-related burden of diseases and accidents in 2019. Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health. 2024;50(2):73. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.4132

Pega F, Hamzaoui H, Náfrádi B, Momen NC. Global, regional and national burden of disease attributable to 19 selected occupational risk factors for 183 countries, 2000–2016: A systematic analysis from the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease and Injury. Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health. 2022;48(2):158. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.4001

Atusingwize E, Musinguzi G, Ndejjo R, Buregyeya E, Kayongo B, Mubeezi R, et al. Occupational safety and health regulations and implementation challenges in Uganda. Archives of environmental & occupational health. 2019;74(1-2):58-65. https://doi.org/10.1080/19338244.2018.1492895

Bråtveit M, Abaya SW, Sakwari G, Moen BE. Dust exposure and respiratory health among workers in primary coffee processing factories in Tanzania and Ethiopia. Frontiers in Public Health. 2021;9:730201. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.730201

Virji MA, Cummings KJ, Cox-Ganser JM. Investigating exposures and respiratory health in coffee workers. Frontiers Media SA; 2022. p. 1026430. https://doi.org/10.3389/978-2-83250-260-0

Uganda Go. Uganda Occupational Safety and Health Act, No. 9 of 2006, last amended 2023. . 2023.

Ministry of Gender LaSD. Occupational Safety and Health Department (OSHD), Uganda. Synopsis for Commemoration of World Day for Safety and Health, 2023. 2023.

Aguwa EN. A Review of Sir Thomas Legge’s Aphorisms and Workplace Personal Protective Equipment. Is There a Gap in Knowledge, Attitude, and Utilization? Occupational Medicine & Health Affairs. 2013;1(6):134. https://doi.org/10.4172/2329-6879.1000134

Launiala A. How much can a KAP survey tell us about people's knowledge, attitudes, and practices? Some observations from medical anthropology research on malaria in pregnancy in Malawi. Anthropology