Abstract
PurposeGender-based violence (GBV) has negative impact on the health and well-being of the survivors. The initial response can lessen the magnitude of the effect, and thus the health care sector's readiness to respond to GBV cases is important. This study aimed to explore the knowledge, attitude and its association to practice regarding GBV response among health care personnel.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional study was conducted in 48 public hospitals in Yangon, Myanmar, involving 398 participants including doctors and nurses, by a self-administered structured questionnaire.FindingsAmong 398 participants, most of the participants had moderate level of knowledge, attitude and supportive environmental factors. Only 12.8% had experienced GBV management. The respondents with a bachelor's degree were more likely to practice on health care management towards GBV cases than those who finished with a diploma degree. The medical officers and senior medical officers were more likely to practice than the junior nurses. The participants who had already attended the trainings had more practice than those who had not. Those who work in the regional hospitals were less likely to practice than those who work in the station-level hospital.Originality/valueThis paper explored the associated factors to health care personnel's practice of health care management towards GBV survivors in Myanmar which contains information about knowledge, attitude and supportive environmental factors. The study results can be used for a supportive data for health system strengthening the response of GBV cases in Myanmar.
Highlights
Gender-based violence (GBV) against women has been defined as “any act that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life” [1].Globally, 35% of women have experienced GBV [2]
This was a cross-sectional study conducted among 398 health care personnel including doctors and nurses who worked in the emergency and out-patient departments (OPD) of public hospitals in the Yangon Region, Myanmar
The study found that the vast majority, that is, 94.5% and 92.5%, of the participants had never attended the GBV response training and the multidisciplinary teamwork training, respectively
Summary
Gender-based violence (GBV) against women has been defined as “any act that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life” [1]. 35% of women have experienced GBV [2]. In one study conducted among 600 participants from five townships in the Yangon Region, 19% said they had faced intimate partner violence and 53% mentioned that knew women who had been violated by. The full terms of this license may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/ legalcode
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