Hubungan antara Kebiasaan Penggunaan Alat Pelindung Diri dan Personal Hygiene dengan Kejadian Infeksi Parasit Usus pada Petugas Sampah di TPA Terjun Medan

Abstract

Background. Intestinal parasitic infections pose a significant and prevalent issue in the community. These infections are caused by intestinal protozoa and nematodes. They can result in a decline in individual health, nutrition, intelligence, and productivity. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and good personal hygiene play a crucial role in reducing the transmission of parasites from the soil to humans, whether through eggs, larvae, or adult parasites, especially for waste management personnel who have direct contact with infectious environments. In Medan city, the final disposal site used is TPA Terjun. TPA Terjun receives waste from various areas of the city daily. Workers face a high risk of infection by intestinal parasites transmitted through the soil. The lack of research data on intestinal parasitic infections among waste management personnel, especially at TPA, can lead to a lack of education and knowledge on how to protect oneself from intestinal parasitic diseases. Objectives. Understanding the relationship between the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and personal hygiene habits and the occurrence of intestinal parasitic infections among waste management personnel at TPA Terjun, Medan. Methods. This study constitutes an analytical survey employing a cross-sectional research design, where independent and dependent variables are compared simultaneously to investigate the relationships among these variables. The sample size for this study is 121 individuals. Results and Discussion. From the results of this study, the most common age group is 20-44 years (46.3%), the most frequent gender is female (56.6%), protective shoes are the most commonly used Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (95%), the majority exhibit good personal hygiene (69.4%), most respondents tested negative for intestinal parasitic infections (83.7%), A. Lumbricoides eggs were the most prevalent in causing infections among respondents with positive results (9.1%). The use of PPE and personal hygiene did not show a significant relationship with the occurrence of intestinal parasitic infections (p>0.05).