PREVENTION OF INFECTIONS IN DAY-CARE-CENTERS - POTENTIAL FACTORS TO MONITOR

The Greater Montreal Public health departments have produced and distr ibuted to day cars centres a manual on the prevention of infections in daycare personnel and trainees. In order to identify which factors ca n influence daycare management in applying the prevention measures sug gested in the manual, a study was carried out based on the Precede/Pro ceed theoretical framework. A total of 134 (31.6%); daycare directors completed the questionnaire. Many were aware of the different recommen dations to prevent infections. However, two of the recommendations wer e nor followed by many: wearing gloves and verifying the vaccination s tatus of their personnel, especially in private daycare centres. Parti cipants had a positive attitude toward the various recommendations but mentioned several problems, specifically difficulty in obtaining the information about the vaccination status, lack of rime and money, as w ell as having to deal with a poor physical organization of the work pl ace. Among others things, the participants proposed that there be a gr eater involvement from schools, provincial daycare regulators, communi ty clinics and public health departments.