The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #71371

Mary J Findorff, MPH, PhD Candi¹, Patricia M. McGovern, PhD², Melanie M. Wall, PhD³, Susan G. Gerberich, PhD², and Bruce H Alexander, PhD². (1) Environmental and Occupational Health/School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 420 Delaware St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, 6126265487, find0003@umn.edu, (2) Division of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Mayo Mail Code 807, 420 Delaware St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, (3) Division of Biostatistics, University of Minnesota, A460 Mayo Building, Box 303, 420 Delaware Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455

The purpose of this study was to assess risk factors for physical and non-physical violence in health care employees, controlling for important confounding factors. Using a retrospective cohort design of randomly selected employees of a major health care organization, multivariate analyses using logistic regression were conducted. The sources of data were the survey instrument and the health system employee database. Separate analyses estimate risk for physical and non-physical violence, weighting for the proportionate sampling used. A total of 1,751 employees responded (response rate = 42%). Results for physical violence showed patient care assistants (O.R. = 2.4, 95% C.I. = 1.1, 5.2) and nurses (O.R. = 3.8, 95% C.I. = 2.0, 7.3) had increased odds of physical violence. When adjustments were made for patient contact, nurses continued to have increased odds of physical violence (O.R. = 3.2, 95% C.I. = 1.7, 6.1). Increased patient contact also resulted in increased odds of physical violence, independent of job family. Results for non-physical violence did not differ by job family, but was associated with patient contact. Results of multivariate analyses showed increased supervisor support resulted in decreased odds of both physical (O.R. = 0.8, 95% C.I. = 0.6, 0.9) and non-physical violence (O.R. = 0.5, 95% C.I. = 0.4, 0.6). Increased patient contact increases the odds of both physical and non-physical violence, even with adjustments for job family and hours worked. Increased supervisor support was associated with decreased odds for both types of violence.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify important risk factors for physical violence in health care workers.
• Identify important risk factors for non-physical violence in health care workers.

Keywords: Violence,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.