1 research outputs found
Workplace violence against healthcare workers during the COVIDâ19 pandemic in Sudan: A crossâsectional study
Abstract Background Workplace violence (WPV) against healthcare workers (HCWs) is a growing global issue. During the coronavirus diseasesâ2019 (COVIDâ19) pandemic, violent attacks on HCWs have been documented worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the magnitude and pattern of WPV among HCWs in Sudan during the COVIDâ19 pandemic. Methods A webâbased crossâsectional study of WPV was conducted among registered medical and health workers (pharmacists, physicians, dentists, nurses, laboratory technicians, and administrative and paramedical staff) during the COVIDâ19 pandemic in Sudan. Data were collected from August to December 2021 using a selfâadministered questionnaire distributed through social media platforms. Results A total of 792 HCWs returned the online questionnaire. The mean age was 33.5 ± 8.6 years, where more than half were females (54.9%) and working during the day shift (58.8%). During the COVIDâ19 pandemic, three out of every four participants (78.3%) reported experiencing violence, with 65.8 % experiencing it more than three times. The common types of violence experienced were verbal (91.6%), physical (50.0%), and sexual abuse (11.0%). The emergency department reported the highest number of violent incidents (46.9%). Half of these violent events were not reported (50.3%), primarily due to a lack of a reporting system. The demographic factors that were significantly associated with exposure to violence were participantsâ occupation (p < 0.001), age (p = 0.001), marital status (p = 0.002), and years of working experience (p = 0.020). Conclusion WPV was rampant among the HCWs in Sudan during the COVIDâ19 pandemic. The current findings are presented to draw the attention of policy leaders and stakeholders in Sudan to this alarming problem prompting the pressing need for policy and system interventions