Workplace violence against physicians and medical students in west part of Iran
International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare
ISSN: 2056-4902
Article publication date: 17 September 2018
Issue publication date: 9 April 2019
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to survey the prevalence of exposure to workplace violence (WPV) including physical violence, verbal abuse, bullying as well as its related factors among physicians and medical students attending teaching hospitals of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences (KUMS).
Design/methodology/approach
This is a descriptive analytic as well as a cross-sectional study which was carried out on all physicians (general and specialists) and medical students attending teaching hospitals of KUMS in 2014. Overall, 400 participated in this study and data were gathered using a standard questionnaire. Then, data were analyzed using SPSS 20, χ2 and Fisher’s exact tests as well as univariate and adjusted logistic regression.
Findings
The prevalence of physical violence, verbal abuse and bullying among medical students was reported 4.5, 59 and 0.8 percent, respectively. In addition, the prevalence of these violence among general practitioners was 6.9, 72.4 and 0 percent, respectively. Moreover, 11.5, 42.3 and 3.8 percent of specialists had experienced physical violence, verbal abuse and bullying, respectively. Patients and their relatives were the main sources of the violence. Based on the results of multivariate logistic regression, male sex (AOR=2.60, CI: 1.56–4.32) and having shift work (AOR=3.13, CI: 1.67–5.84) were the most significant risk factors for total WPV.
Originality/value
The WPV experienced by physicians and medical students attending teaching hospitals of MUK is high. Health sector authorities should develop and implement proper strategies and interventions aiming at reducing or preventing from incidence of WPV.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This paper is part of a doctor of medicine thesis. The authors would like to thank all participants who helped the authors through completing this study. The authors also thank research and technology deputy of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences for their financial support.
Citation
Afkhamzadeh, A., Mohamadi Bolbanabad, A., Moloudi, B., Safari, H. and Piroozi, B. (2019), "Workplace violence against physicians and medical students in west part of Iran", International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare, Vol. 12 No. 2, pp. 116-123. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHRH-07-2018-0049
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited