Attitude of Morticians towards Health Hazard and Safety Practices in Hospitals and Private Centres in Rivers State

Background: Mortuary services are integral to the compendium of services provided by a tertiary healthcare centre. It is a procedure involved in the receipt, storage and release of the deceased. Managing this process safely, securely, efficiently, effectively and appropriately is the core business of mortuary services teams.

Objective: The study investigated attitudes toward health hazards and safety practices among Morticians in hospitals and private centres in Rivers state.

Methods: Descriptive survey design was used for the study. The study population consisted of three hundred and seven (307) morticians in all registered mortuaries both government and private centres in Rivers state. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The validity of the questionnaire was established as valid by three experts. The reliability coefficient of 0.86 was obtained. Research questions were answered using mean, standard deviation and percentage, while data were analysed using the z-test to test hypotheses.

Results: The finding of the study showed that the majority of the morticians had a positive attitude toward health hazards and safety practices (2.7, ± 0.98). The findings show a significant difference in attitude toward safety practices based on age (z-cal = 1.669, df = 305, p < 0.01). The findings of this study show a significant difference in the attitude towards safety practices based on gender (z-cal = 2.464, df = 305, p < 0.01).

Conclusion: Based on the findings, it was concluded that morticians in Rivers State have a positive attitude toward health hazards and safety practices in hospitals and private centers.