Incidence and recurrent work-related violence towards healthcare workers and subsequent health effects. A one-year follow-up study.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to analyse the incidence of violence and threats of violence during the first year at work after graduating as a healthcare worker, the risk of re-exposure and health effects among respondents previously exposed to violence or threats.


METHODS
We analysed baseline data from 5,696 healthcare students and conducted prospective multinomial regression analyses following 2,847 respondents during their first year of employment.


RESULTS
At baseline we found that nearly a third of the respondents had been exposed to violence or threats of violence, 8.7% during trainee periods. At follow-up, we found that 24.6% of the healthcare workers had been exposed to violence and 33.4% to threats during the first year at work after graduation. Exposure to violence or threats during trainee periods was a strong predictor of violence (Odds ratio (OR)=3.3) and threats (OR=4.2) at follow-up. The results showed that violence or threats in previous jobs or at other places had a significant impact on the health of the victims at follow-up independent of gender, age, sense of coherence, self-efficacy and health at baseline. Exposure during trainee periods had a small but not quite significant (p=0.06) impact on the health of the victims at follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
The study shows a high risk of violence and threats of violence among healthcare workers during training and the first year at work after graduation, indicating a need for violence prevention planning involving both college and workplaces.
Hogh
Annie
A
National Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark. anh@nrcwe.dk
Sharipova
Muborak
M
Borg
Vilhelm
V
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009728:Nursing Assistants / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology