THE IMPACT OF A SHORT EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTION MODEL ON HEALTHCARE WORKERS' KNOWLEDGE OF SCABIES: A SINGLE-GROUP PRETEST-POSTTEST INTERVENTION STUDY

Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a short-term educational intervention on healthcare workers' knowledge of scabies, including its transmission, clinical presentation, treatment, and prevention methods.

Material and Method: This intervention study included 200 healthcare workers (doctors, nurses, and hospital staff) working in a tertiary hospital. Participants completed a pretest before attending a 15-minute educational session on scabies. A posttest was administered after the session. Participants' knowledge was assessed using a 10-item multiple-choice test.

Results: The study demonstrated a significant increase in participants' knowledge levels following the training. The median pretest score was 8.00 [Q1;Q3: 6.00; 9.00], while the median posttest score was 10.0 [Q1;Q3: 9.00; 10.0]. In terms of gender, male participants showed a larger effect size for knowledge improvement (Cohen’s d: 1,48), whereas the effect was moderate among female participants (Cohen’s d: 0.91). Among professional groups, the greatest knowledge improvement was observed in doctors (Cohen’s d: 1.94) and hospital staff (Cohen’s d: 1.12), while the effect remained moderate for nurses (Cohen’s d: 0.88). Regarding years of professional experience, those with 6-10 years of experience benefited the most from the training (Cohen’s d: 1.88). Participants who had not previously received training on scabies showed greater knowledge improvement compared to those who had prior training (Cohen’s d: 1.18 vs. 0.98). Additionally, participants with no prior experience of scabies outbreaks in hospitals benefited more from the training compared to those who had such experience (Cohen’s d: 1.06 vs. 0.84).