Fatores associados ao comportamento sanitário miccional de mulheres da equipe de enfermagem

Abstract

Introduction: Sanitary behavior corresponds to the urinary habit related to specific and appropriate locations for performing such actions correctly and in accordance with human physiology. Inadequate sanitary behaviors can chronically lead to changes in health. Objectives: To analyze the factors associated with urinary sanitary behavior in the workplace among female nursing staff. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, analytical study consisting of the quantification of information through numerical translation. The study population comprised female nursing professionals from a high-complexity hospital unit. Data were tabulated using Microsoft Excel 2019, with double entry for error correction and database cleaning. Subsequently, the database was exported to the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 29.0. In descriptive statistics, absolute and percentage frequencies were calculated for categorical variables. In inferential statistics, Pearson’s Chi-Square and Fisher’s Exact tests were used, considering p < 0.05 as statistically significant. The strength of association between categorical variables was assessed using the Odds Ratio with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The dependent variable of the study was sanitary behavior (adequate vs. inadequate). Results: The study included 108 female nursing staff members, predominantly mixed-race women (65.7%), aged between 32 and 59 years (60.2%), nurses (68.5%), and with up to five years of professional experience (55.6%). Among them, 39.8% were nulliparous, 22.2% reported one pregnancy, 25% had two pregnancies, 9.3% had three, and 3.7% reported four or more. Regarding childbirth, 10.2% reported vaginal delivery, 8.3% had perineal lacerations, and 26.9% reported at least one cesarean section. Concerning the menstrual cycle, 57.4% reported regular menstruation. Regarding health habits, 28.7% reported drinking two liters of water daily. Additionally, 42.6% reported a history of urinary tract infection (UTI), of which 32.4% stated the episodes occurred once a year. As for urinary incontinence, 10.2% reported leakage when coughing, 13% when sneezing, 25.9% during urgency to urinate, and 20.4% reported leaks one to two times per week. Moreover, 48.1% occasionally avoided using public restrooms, while 52.8% delayed urination. Regarding correlated factors, a history of UTI (p = 0.004), the frequency of UTI episodes per year (p = 0.006), the most recent UTI episode (p = 0.027), the number of times participants urinated during the workday (p = 0.009), and the position adopted during urination were associated with adequate sanitary behavior. Conclusion: Overall, the results of this study revealed that the nursing staff demonstrated weaknesses in the knowledge and fundamentals necessary to identify, manage, and prevent inadequate sanitary behaviors.