Determinants of disinfectant use among nurses in U.S. healthcare facilities

Disinfectant use among healthcare workers has been associated with respiratory disorders, especially asthma. We aimed to describe disinfectants used by U.S. nurses, and to investigate qualitative and quantitative differences according to workplace characteristics and region.

Disinfectant use was assessed by questionnaire in 8,851 nurses. Hospital characteristics were obtained from the American Hospital Association database.

Working in a hospital was associated with higher disinfectant use (OR: 2.06 [95%CI: 1.89-2.24]), but lower spray use (0.74 [0.66-0.82]). Nurses working in smaller hospitals (<50 beds vs. ≥200 beds) were more likely to use disinfectants (1.69 [1.23-2.32]) and sprays (1.69 [1.20-2.38]). Spray use was lower in the West than in the Northeast (0.75 [0.58-0.97]).

Disinfectant use was more common among nurses working in smaller hospitals, possibly because they perform more diverse tasks. Variations in spray use by hospital size and region suggest additional targets for future efforts to prevent occupational asthma. Am. J. Ind. Med. 60:131-140, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.