PREVALENCE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST HEALTH CARE WORKERS IN ACCIDENT

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Globally, violence targeted at the healthcare workers are public health problem with gross variation in the healthcare system of various countries. The incidence of workplace violence is peculiar to both developing and developed countries with more workers at risk in developing countries especially in Africa due to poorly developed health environment. Objectives: To ascertain the prevalence of violence against health care workers in Accident and Emergency unit in University of Benin Teaching Hospital with the aim of making recommendations to the appropriate authorities so as to reduce its prevalence in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. Methodology: This study was carried out among health care workers in Accident and Emergency unit in University of Benin Teaching Hospital using the total population study for selection. Interviewer–administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Data was entered and analyzed with IBM SPSS version 25.0 software. The association between socio demographics, category of health professions, and physical violence as well as psychological violence were analyzed using Chi square test. The level of significance was set at p<0.05. Results: Two hundred and eighty two respondents participated in this study with a mean age of 36.11±8.4 years. The prevalence of physical violence was 63(22.3%), while that of psychological violence was 247 (87.6%). Non-availability of doctors and nurses on call duty 53 (84.1%) and aggressive personality of people 156 (63.1%) were the dominant predisposing factor of physical and psychological violence among respondents respectively. Furthermore, Pushing 61 (100%) and verbal abuse 232 (99.5%) were the dominant form of physical and psychological violence in the last one year respectively. Conclusion: The overall prevalence of violence against health care workers was high with the prevalence of psychological violence higher than that of physical violence. Keywords: Violence, Health care workers, Accident and Emergency unit.