Occupational health: analysis of the psychological impact of exposure to needlestick and sharps injuries among Primary Health Care professionals

• Grant number: 25/04482-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nursing - Public Health Nursing
• Principal Investigator: Luis Eduardo Genaro
• Grantee: Talita Priscilla da Silva Guerra
• Host Institution: FAC ANHANGUERA JUNDIAI/AESA

Abstract

Accidents involving biological materials in Primary Health Care represent a serious public health issue, with significant physical and psychosocial impacts on professionals. In addition to the risk of infections, these events cause emotional distress, which is often worsened by the lack of institutional support. This project aims to analyze needlestick and sharps injuries among public health professionals in primary care, considering their psychological impacts, the level of knowledge on biosafety and occupational exposure, as well as the availability and perception of psychological support. This is a qualitative-quantitative study to be conducted in a medium-sized municipality in the interior of São Paulo State, with the participation of 93 health professionals, including dentists, oral health assistants, nursing technicians, and nurses. Data collection will be carried out through sociodemographic questionnaires, a specific instrument on biosafety and occupational exposure, the Impact of Event Scale - Revised (IES-R), and semi-structured interviews analyzed using the Collective Subject Discourse (CSD) technique. The interview data will be analyzed through a descriptive approach, employing the qualitative-quantitative technique with the support of Qualiquantisoft® software. The remaining data will be organized in Excel spreadsheets and processed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 20.0. Furthermore, the data will be evaluated regarding the coefficient of variation and sample distribution to determine the most appropriate statistical test. A 95% confidence interval and a 5% significance level (p < 0.05) will be adopted.