Violence towards health care workers in a Public Health Care Facility in Italy: a repeated cross-sectional study
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Violence at work is one of the major concerns in health care activities. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of physical and non-physical violence in a general health care facility in Italy and to assess the relation...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2012-05-01
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| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/12/108 |
| _version_ | 1819123024425648128 |
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| author | Magnavita Nicola Heponiemi Tarja |
| author_facet | Magnavita Nicola Heponiemi Tarja |
| author_sort | Magnavita Nicola |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Violence at work is one of the major concerns in health care activities. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of physical and non-physical violence in a general health care facility in Italy and to assess the relationship between violence and psychosocial factors, thereby providing a basis for appropriate intervention.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>All health care workers from a public health care facility were invited to complete a questionnaire containing questions on workplace violence. Three questionnaire-based cross-sectional surveys were conducted. The response rate was 75 % in 2005, 71 % in 2007, and 94 % in 2009. The 2009 questionnaire contained the VIF (Violent Incident Form) for reporting violent incidents, the DCS (demand/control/support) model for job strain, the Colquitt 20 item questionnaire for perceived organizational justice, and the GHQ-12 General Health Questionnaire for the assessment of mental health.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>One out of ten workers reported physical assault, and one out of three exposure to non-physical violence in the workplace in the previous year. Nurses and physicians were the most exposed occupational categories, whereas the psychiatric and emergency departments were the services at greatest risk of violence. Workers exposed to non-physical violence were subject to high job strain, low support, low perceived organizational justice, and high psychological distress.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our study shows that health care workers in an Italian local health care facility are exposed to violence. Workplace violence was associated with high demand and psychological disorders, while job control, social support and organizational justice were protective factors.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T07:01:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-267d455803824d278049a3a09750f1b1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T07:01:46Z |
| publishDate | 2012-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-267d455803824d278049a3a09750f1b12022-12-21T18:34:47ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632012-05-0112110810.1186/1472-6963-12-108Violence towards health care workers in a Public Health Care Facility in Italy: a repeated cross-sectional studyMagnavita NicolaHeponiemi Tarja<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Violence at work is one of the major concerns in health care activities. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of physical and non-physical violence in a general health care facility in Italy and to assess the relationship between violence and psychosocial factors, thereby providing a basis for appropriate intervention.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>All health care workers from a public health care facility were invited to complete a questionnaire containing questions on workplace violence. Three questionnaire-based cross-sectional surveys were conducted. The response rate was 75 % in 2005, 71 % in 2007, and 94 % in 2009. The 2009 questionnaire contained the VIF (Violent Incident Form) for reporting violent incidents, the DCS (demand/control/support) model for job strain, the Colquitt 20 item questionnaire for perceived organizational justice, and the GHQ-12 General Health Questionnaire for the assessment of mental health.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>One out of ten workers reported physical assault, and one out of three exposure to non-physical violence in the workplace in the previous year. Nurses and physicians were the most exposed occupational categories, whereas the psychiatric and emergency departments were the services at greatest risk of violence. Workers exposed to non-physical violence were subject to high job strain, low support, low perceived organizational justice, and high psychological distress.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our study shows that health care workers in an Italian local health care facility are exposed to violence. Workplace violence was associated with high demand and psychological disorders, while job control, social support and organizational justice were protective factors.</p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/12/108AggressionViolence at the workplaceHealth care workersPost-traumatic stressOrganizational justiceWork stressSocial supportJob controlDemandPsychological disorders. |
| spellingShingle | Magnavita Nicola Heponiemi Tarja Violence towards health care workers in a Public Health Care Facility in Italy: a repeated cross-sectional study BMC Health Services Research Aggression Violence at the workplace Health care workers Post-traumatic stress Organizational justice Work stress Social support Job control Demand Psychological disorders. |
| title | Violence towards health care workers in a Public Health Care Facility in Italy: a repeated cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Violence towards health care workers in a Public Health Care Facility in Italy: a repeated cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Violence towards health care workers in a Public Health Care Facility in Italy: a repeated cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Violence towards health care workers in a Public Health Care Facility in Italy: a repeated cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Violence towards health care workers in a Public Health Care Facility in Italy: a repeated cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | violence towards health care workers in a public health care facility in italy a repeated cross sectional study |
| topic | Aggression Violence at the workplace Health care workers Post-traumatic stress Organizational justice Work stress Social support Job control Demand Psychological disorders. |
| url | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/12/108 |
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