Prevalence and risk factors of workplace violence against healthcare workers in Bangladesh and its consequences: A nationwide cross-sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundWorkplace violence (WPV) is a global concern that poses major threats to healthcare professionals. Understanding the prevalence, risk factors, and consequences of WPV is key to developing effective preventive measures to ensure the safety of healthcare workers. ObjectivesThis study aimed to assess the weighted prevalence, risk factors, and consequences of WPV among healthcare professionals in Bangladesh. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted from May 9, 2022, to April 3, 2023. A total of 3977 healthcare professionals from various healthcare settings participated through a convenience sampling technique. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data in three phases. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Fisher's exact tests, and multinomial logistic regression. ResultsThe study revealed that 77.29% of healthcare professionals (n = 3074) reported experiencing WPV. Verbal abuse/threat (28.74%), emotional violence (20.9%), physical violence (17.53%), and sexual harassment (17.85%) were the most prevalent types of violence reported. WPV incidents primarily occurred at patients' bedside (27.31%) and in nursing/doctor stations (24.84%). The night shift had the highest prevalence of violence (35.66%). Patient relatives/friends (43.55%) and visitors (31.38%) were the primary perpetrators. The major factors associated with WPV included lack of organizational policy (11.32%), long waiting (11.16%), medical error (9.71%), and poor patient management systems (9.53%). Consequences of physical WPV included head injuries (23.69%), ocular injuries (27.21%), fractures (14.99%), and unconsciousness (17.05%). ConclusionsThis study highlights the alarming prevalence of workplace violence among healthcare professionals in Bangladesh and identified major risk factors to the occurrence of violence. Urgent attention from policymakers and healthcare organizations is required to develop and implement preventive measures targeting these risk factors. Strengthening security systems, establishing workplace violence policies, and providing training programs are essential to ensure a safer environment for healthcare workers. It is imperative to increase awareness of workplace violence laws and their enforcement to effectively address this pressing issue and safeguard the well-being of healthcare professionals in Bangladesh.