Background
Pressure ulcers are significant health issues affecting elderly patients, leading to severe complications, prolonged hospital stays, and high healthcare costs. Preventive care by home caregivers plays a crucial role in mitigating the development of pressure ulcers.
Objective
This study aims to assess home caregivers' knowledge of pressure ulcer prevention and investigate the factors associated with knowledge levels in elderly patients in Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 231 home caregivers of elderly patients registered in Home Health Care, Al-Ahsa Health Cluster. Data were collected using an online questionnaire assessing demographic information and knowledge of pressure ulcer prevention, adapted from the Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Assessment Tool (PUKAT) 2.0. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 29.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, USA), with a Chi-square test used for bivariate analysis of categorical outcomes.
Results
The majority of caregivers were female (64.5%), aged between 35 and 50 years (47.6%), and primarily family members (83.5%). Most caregivers had been providing care for 5 years or less (79.7%), with 67.5% never having received training in pressure ulcer prevention. Knowledge levels were generally sufficient, with 87.0% of caregivers showing adequate knowledge of pressure ulcer prevention. Significant associations were found between knowledge levels and caregiving duration (p=0.006) as well as training in pressure ulcer prevention (p=0.001). However, other demographic factors, such as age and gender, were not significantly associated with knowledge levels.
Conclusion
The study found that most home caregivers possess sufficient knowledge of pressure ulcer prevention, although training and caregiving duration significantly influence knowledge levels. These findings underscore the need for comprehensive training programs to improve caregivers' knowledge and practice, thereby enhancing the quality of care for elderly patients and reducing the incidence of pressure ulcers.
