Abstract

Manual screen printing is a growing printing market in Cameroon. This activity presents risks due to the substances to which workers are exposed. The low level of information on the toxicological risks to which screen-printing workers are exposed hides the dangers. This study was conducted to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices of the participants on the risks associated with the products used, via a cross-sectional descriptive study approved by the Institutional Ethics and Research Committee of the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of the University of Yaoundé 1. To achieve this objective, the study was conducted in 91 screen-printing workshops, where a total of 118 participants answered all questions on a form. The survey phase consisted of a questionnaire administered to each screen printer. Assessment of screen printers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding the toxic hazards inherent in screen printing revealed that 13% of employees had a good level of knowledge, 9% had correct attitudes, and 28% had adequate practices. This suggests that there is a significant need for preventive measures, including health education program for screen printers and ongoing research into the toxic effects of screen printing to reduce risk to its lowest level and to promote public health in the population.

Keywords

screen printers, knowledge, attitudes, practices, toxic risks, Cameroon