Bridging the Chasm: A nationwide assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of medical waste management among Nigerian medical students

Williams Igoniye; Onuchuku Precious; Christopher F Njeh

doi:10.15406/mojph.2026.15.00514

MOJ

eISSN: 2379-6383

Public Health

Research Article Volume 15 Issue 1

Bridging the Chasm: A nationwide assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of medical waste management among Nigerian medical students

Williams Igoniye, Onuchuku Precious, Christopher F Njeh

Received: March 21, 2026 | Published: April 20, 2026

Citation: Igoniye W, Precious O, Njeh CF. Bridging the Chasm: A nationwide assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of medical waste management among Nigerian medical students. MOJ Public Health. 2026;15(1):55-62. DOI: 10.15406/mojph.2026.15.00514

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Abstract

Purpose: This study assessed the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) of Nigerian medical students regarding Medical Waste Management (MWM) to evaluate their preparedness for this critical aspect of patient and environmental safety. Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 clinical-level medical students from six universities, selected via multi-stage sampling. Participants completed a pre-validated, 40-item questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. Results: A profound “know-do” gap (i.e., a disconnect between what students know they should do and what they actually do) was identified. The mean knowledge score was poor (48.7% ±12.3), with only 22% of students having received formal MWM training. Knowledge of waste classification and color-coding was particularly deficient. In stark contrast, attitudes were overwhelmingly positive (mean score: 81.5% ±9.8). However, selfreported practices were alarmingly poor (mean score: 35.2% ±15.6), characterized by high rates of improper sharps disposal (68%) and mixing of infectious and general waste (74%). Crucially, formal training was significantly associated with higher knowledge (p<0.001) and better practice scores (p<0.01). Conclusion: Nigerian medical students are acutely unprepared to manage medical waste safely, despite recognizing its importance. This dissonance signals a critical failure in undergraduate medical education. The findings mandate the urgent integration of structured, practical MWM training into the core curriculum to equip future physicians with the necessary competence to protect human and environmental health.

Keywords: biomedical waste, medical education, knowledge-attitude-practice, Nigeria, curriculum development, public health, environmental health