[Analysis of patients violence in primary care].
OBJECTIVE
Main aim: to determine the frequency of violence in primary care. Secondary aims: to analyse its causes, consequences and connection with professional burnout and reduced motivation.


METHODS
Transversal, descriptive study.


METHODS
Primary care.


METHODS
68 primary care doctors from 4 districts in the province of Jaén (350, 19%).


METHODS
Self-administered questionnaire with an ad hoc design, sent out by mail and including personal and job details and doctors' views on the causes and consequences of burnout and violence, and the attitudes of the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) and professional bodies (overall reliability, Cronbach's alpha =.7898).


RESULTS
58% had suffered aggression (85% verbal abuse, 67.5% threats, 12.5% physical aggression). Being attacked was linked with attributing the responsibility to the patients (odds ratio [OR]=7.6, 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.5-23), with doing extra shifts (OR=6.3; 95% CI, 1.2-33), rigidity (OR=3.5; 95% CI, 1.2-10.7), inadequate handling of emotive situations (OR=3.2; 95% CI, 1.1-9.2,) and incompetence (OR=5.2; 95% CI, 1.6-17). Violence scored the lowest as cause of burnout and was linked to the job being less rewarding (OR=2.9; 95% CI, 1.0-7.8). It was linked to irritation with the SAS (OR=2.8; 95% CI, 1.0-7.5) and fear of reduced motivation (OR=2.8; 95% CI, 1.0-7.5), with this latter being linked to loss of social prestige (P<.01), feeling low self-esteem (P<.01), and depression (P<.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Violence is more common than in the figures given by the International Labour Organisation. It is associated with distrust, lack of communication in health care delivery and incompetence. It is the cause of burnout that is least appreciated and it is linked to the job being less rewarding and to greater fear of reduced motivation.
Moreno Jiménez
M A
MA
Centro de Salud de Mancha Real (Distrito Sanitario de Jaén), Mancha Real, Jaén, España. med015108@saludalia.com
Vico Ramírez
F
F
Zerolo Andrey
F J
FJ
López Rodríguez
A
A
Herrera Serenab
P
P
Mateios Salidoc
M J
MJ
D000328:Adult; D002055:Burnout, Professional; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*