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BACKGROUND: To assess the frequency, risk factors, consequences, and prevention of violence against healthcare workers in intensive care units. METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, EMBASE, Cochrane, and Web of Science were searched for studies on violence against healthcare workers in adult intensive care units. Risk factors, patient characteristics, and implications for healthcare workers were collected. Study quality, bias, and level of evidence were assessed using established tools. RESULTS: Seventy-five studies with 139,533 healthcare workers from 32 countries were included. The overall median frequency of violence was 51% (IQR 37-75%). Up to 97% of healthcare workers experienced verbal violence, and up to 82% were victims of physical violence. Meta-analysis of frequency revealed an average frequency of 31% (95% CI 22-41%) for physical violence, 57% for verbal violence (95% CI 48-66%), and 12% for sexual violence (95% CI 4-23%). Heterogeneity was high according to the I2 statistics. Patients were the most common perpetrators (median 56%), followed by visitors (median 22%). Twenty-two studies reported increased risk ratios of up to 2.3 or odds ratios of up to 22.9 for healthcare workers in the ICU compared to other healthcare workers. Risk factors for experiencing violence included young age, less work experience, and being a nurse. Patients who exhibited violent behavior were often male, older, and physically impaired by drugs. Violence was underreported in up to 80% of cases and associated with higher burnout rates, increased anxiety, and higher turnover intentions. Overall the level of evidence was low. CONCLUSIONS: Workplace violence is frequent and underreported in intensive care units, with potential serious consequences for healthcare workers, calling for heightened awareness, screening, and preventive measures. The potential risk factors for violence should be further investigated. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: The protocol for this review was registered with Prospero on January 15, 2023 (ID CRD42023388449).
Subject(s)
Health Personnel , Intensive Care Units , Humans , Intensive Care Units/organization & administration , Intensive Care Units/statistics & numerical data , Risk Factors , Health Personnel/statistics & numerical data , Health Personnel/psychology , Workplace Violence/statistics & numerical data , Workplace Violence/prevention & control , Workplace Violence/psychologyABSTRACT
Numerous studies have identified connections between child maltreatment and sleep-related issues. However, poor is known on potential links between sleep patterns and day-to-day functioning, along with psychopathology in maltreated youths. Additionally, existing research on the relationship between sleep difficulties and maltreatment often lacks investigation into specific sleep difficulty profiles across different age ranges. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence of diverse sleep disturbance profiles in a sample of maltreated children and adolescents, exploring distinct sleep disorder profiles based on sex, age, and the type of maltreatment experienced. Potential variations in adaptive and psychopathological profiles between maltreated children with and without sleep disturbances were also explored. This retrospective study included 91 children and adolescents (56% males, 44% females), aged 6 to 17, with a history of maltreatment (physical maltreatment, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, or neglect), referring for a neuropsychiatric and psychological evaluation at a pediatric hospital. Data were obtained through a retrospective file review. Sleep difficulties were measured through the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children; cognitive abilities, adaptive skills, and emotional and behavioral features were also investigated. Among maltreated youth, difficulties in initiating and maintaining sleep were the most frequently observed by caregivers. Poor sex differences emerged, whereas adolescents exhibited more daytime somnolence than school-age children. Children with sleep difficulties exhibited more anxiety symptoms and worse global functioning in comparison with children without sleep difficulties.Conclusion: Considering the vital impact of sleep quality on healthy development, practitioners should offer tailored services to child maltreatment victims. Enhancing the sleep quality of these children could help foster their resilience.
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INTRODUCTION: Intimate partner violence (IPV) can be described as a violation of human rights that results from gender inequality. It has arisen as a contemporary issue in societies from both developing and industrialized countries and an impediment to long-term development. This study evaluates the prevalence of IPV and its variants among the empowerment status of women and identify the associated sociodemographic parameters, linked to IPV. METHODS: This study is based on data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) of India, 2019-21 a nationwide survey that provides scientific data on health and family welfare. Prevalence of IPV were estimated among variouss social and demographic strata. Pearson chi-square test was used to estimate the strength of association between each possible covariate and IPV. Significantly associated covariates (from univariate logistic regression) were further analyzed through separate bivariate logistic models for each of the components of IPV, viz-a-viz sexual, emotional, physical and severe violence of the partners. RESULTS: The prevalence of IPV among empowered women was found to be 26.21%. Among those who had experienced IPV, two-thirds (60%) were faced the physical violence. When compared to highly empowered women, less empowered women were 74% more likely to face emotional abuse. Alcohol consumption by a partner was established to be attributing immensely for any kind of violence, including sexual violence [AOR: 3.28 (2.83-3.81)]. CONCLUSIONS: Our research found that less empowered women experience all forms of IPV compared to more empowered women. More efforts should to taken by government and other stakeholders to promote women empowerment by improving education, autonomy and decision-making ability.
Subject(s)
Health Surveys , Intimate Partner Violence , Humans , Female , Intimate Partner Violence/statistics & numerical data , Intimate Partner Violence/psychology , India/epidemiology , Prevalence , Adult , Cross-Sectional Studies , Middle Aged , Young Adult , Adolescent , EmpowermentABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Violence against women continues to be a challenge in many countries. Many women suffer physical violence at the hands of their intimate partners and sometimes this leads to their deaths. This study aimed to examine the multilevel determinants of physical violence among ever-partnered women in South Africa. METHODS: We used data from the 2016 South Africa Demographic and Health Survey. The study has a weighted sample size of 4169 ever-partnered women aged 18-49 years, based on the domestic violence module. We included univariate, bivariate and multilevel logistic regression analysis. We included a two-level model to measure the relationship between the selected background characteristics and physical violence. RESULTS: The prevalence of physical violence among ever-partnered women was 20.6%. The bivariate findings showed that educational status, employment status, witness to inter-parental violence, partner's drinking habits, household wealth, educational difference, and province were statistically associated with physical violence. The multilevel analysis showed some evidence of between-cluster variation in physical violence. We found that age, education, employment status, witness to inter-parental violence, partner's drinking habits, household wealth, education difference, place of residence, and province were key predictors of physical violence. The odds of physical violence were more than two-fold in the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga compared to Gauteng. CONCLUSION: The study highlighted various key factors explaining physical violence. The findings suggest the need for targeted interventions aimed at specific communities of women, such as those from the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga, as well as interventions that will empower women and address gender inequalities.
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BACKGROUND: A significant number of referrals to the emergency departments is due to violence and conflict leading to serious injuries and death. The increasing number of such cases highlights the urgent need for investigating victimization of physical violence. AIM: The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of demographic and clinical characteristics in victims of violence and classify them based on penetrating or blunt trauma. METHODS: The data of the patients who had been the victims of violence in 2020 were extracted from the Trauma Registry System(TRS) of the Guilan Road Trauma Research Center(GTRC). All analyses were performed using SPSS software version 24. The significance level was considered less than 0.05. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the type of violence-related trauma in different age groups (P < 0.001), based on sex (P = 0.002), and marital status (P = 0.012). A significant difference also existed between the trauma type and clinical variables including smoking (P = 0.032), history of alcohol drinking (P = 0.005), and other substance use (P = 0.002), the anatomical location of injury (P < 0.001) and therapeutic interventions (p < 0.001(. CONCLUSION: Most of the clients of the violence suffered from blunt trauma, the severity of which was mild, and they were treated supportively without the need for surgery. Blunt trauma was seen more in women, divorcees, over 40 years and non-smokers. Penetrating trauma was observed more in lower limb injuries and alcohol and amphetamine users. Prevention programs and educational interventions should be programmed for the society long before men alcohol and amphetamine abusers reach their fourth decade of life. Accurately recording the type of physical violence, and the weapon used, and determining the injury severity score in TRS can lead to more reliable results in researching the field of violence issues.
Subject(s)
Wounds, Nonpenetrating , Wounds, Penetrating , Humans , Male , Female , Adult , Retrospective Studies , Wounds, Nonpenetrating/epidemiology , Wounds, Penetrating/epidemiology , Young Adult , Middle Aged , Adolescent , Physical Abuse/statistics & numerical data , Crime Victims/statistics & numerical data , Crime Victims/psychology , Registries , Child , Aged , Iran/epidemiologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is high among women of reproductive age in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, empowering women enables them to confront and mitigate IPV. In this study, we examined the association between the survey-based women's empowerment index (SWPER) and IPV in SSA. METHODS: We used data from the Demographic and Health Surveys of 19 countries conducted from 2015 to 2021. Our study was restricted to a weighted sample of 82,203 women of reproductive age who were married or cohabiting. We used spatial maps to show the proportions of women who experienced past-year IPV. A five-modelled multilevel binary logistic regression analysis was adopted to examine the association between SWPER and IPV. The results were presented using the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with their respective 95% confidence interval (CI). Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: With physical and emotional violence, the country with the highest prevalence was Sierra Leone, with a prevalence of 39.00% and 38.97% respectively. Rwanda (10.34%), Zambia (11.09%), Malawi (15.00%), Uganda (16.88%), and Burundi (20.32%) were the hotspot countries for sexual violence. Angola (34.54%), Uganda (41.55%), Liberia (47.94%), and Sierra Leone (59.98%) were the hotspot countries for IPV. A high SWPER score in attitudes to violence significantly decreased the odds of IPV [AOR = 0.70; 95% CI = 0.66, 0.75]. Also, women with medium score in decision-making were less likely to experience IPV compared to those with lower scores [AOR = 0.89; 95% CI = 0.83, 0.95]. However, higher odds of experiencing IPV was found among women with medium score in autonomy compared to those with low scores [AOR = 1.07; 95% CI = 1.01, 1.14]. CONCLUSIONS: Our study has shown that the three dimensions of SWPER significantly predict IPV among women. Consequently, it is crucial that sub-Saharan African countries implement various initiatives, such as IPV advocacy programs and economic livelihood empowerment initiatives. These initiatives should not only aim to improve women's attitudes to domestic violence but also to enhance their social independence, autonomy, and decision-making capacity.
Subject(s)
Empowerment , Intimate Partner Violence , Humans , Female , Africa South of the Sahara/epidemiology , Intimate Partner Violence/statistics & numerical data , Intimate Partner Violence/psychology , Adult , Young Adult , Adolescent , Middle Aged , Prevalence , Women's RightsABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Youth involvement in violence and delinquency has received widespread attention in the literature. However, little is known about youth involvement in political violence, especially among youth who live in conflict areas. The current study examined the mechanisms that underlie youth involvement in serious physical and political violence. We explored the similarities and differences in the association between both individual factors (including religiosity and school commitment) and parental factors (including parental control and education), and the two types of violent behaviors. METHOD: A large representative sample of 814 Arab male students from neighborhoods located in East Jerusalem, aged 12-18 years, completed a structured, anonymous, self-report questionnaire. The data was collected between February and May 2019. RESULTS: Over half of the participants reported that they had been involved in political violence (55.1%) or serious physical violence (58.8%) during the previous year. Youth involvement in serious physical violence was positively associated with involvement in political violence. Furthermore, we found that greater parental control and lower impulsivity are associated with lower levels of political and physical violence. School commitment was associated negatively with serious physical violence but not with involvement in political violence. Youth work was positively correlated with involvement in political violence but not in serious physical violence. CONCLUSION: The results of the current study show that Arab youth from East Jerusalem are highly involved in political and serious physical violence. The risk and protective factors identified here should inform the design of specific intervention strategies.
Subject(s)
Politics , Violence , Humans , Male , Adolescent , Risk Factors , Child , Violence/statistics & numerical data , Israel/epidemiology , Surveys and Questionnaires , Arabs/statistics & numerical data , Adolescent Behavior/psychology , Self ReportABSTRACT
An increasing body of sociological research explores the complexity of intimate partner violence (IPV) in heterosexual relationships. However, early research in this area concentrated exclusively on male perpetration, thereby necessitating a better understanding of the contexts behind female-perpetrated and bidirectional IPV. Using the two most recent cycles of the Canadian General Social Survey (2014 and 2019), our study employs a multinomial logistic regression model to examine the prevalence and severity of female and male physical IPV victimization among a large sample of married and common-law heterosexual couples. Framing our analysis through one concentric level of Dutton's (1990) nested ecological model, the exosystem, we aim to understand whether these indicators serve as protective markers against severe and nonsevere physical IPV. We investigate the impact of eight exosystem indicators (financial stress, number of children, length of relationship, religiosity, employment, social support, education, and income). Our findings suggest that social support, employment, and household income serve as protective markers against male and female physical IPV victimization. Other protective factors include the length of the relationship and the partner's religiosity for female-perpetrated violence. At the same time, the presence of children in the household reduces the likelihood of male-perpetrated IPV despite being a risk marker for female perpetration. Risk factors for both men and women include education and their partner's employment. Future research should undertake a more in-depth exploration of the impact of exosystem and macrosystem factors on instances of IPV to generate a better understanding of predictive and preventative measures.
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Crime Victims , Intimate Partner Violence , Child , Humans , Male , Female , Heterosexuality , Canada , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) has been found to predict target behaviors. The literature examining this model lacks attention to violence toward nurses. PURPOSE: To explore the association between the public's exposure to violence and intention to employ violence toward nurses, under the TPB framework. METHODS: A cross-sectional study (705 participants) employed a self-report questionnaire. Path analysis assessed TPB variables' mediation between prior exposure to violence and violent intent toward nurses. DISCUSSION: The TPB variables, that is attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived control, mediated only the association between exposure to physical violence and intention to act violently. Subjective norms were the strongest mediator. The explained variance was 31%. CONCLUSION: When addressing violence against nurses, policymakers must consider attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived control among patients and their attendants. Violence directed at nurses and health care workers reflects societal violence and the "upstream approaches" needed to mitigate violence in health care settings.
Subject(s)
Intention , Theory of Planned Behavior , Humans , Cross-Sectional Studies , Attitude , Violence/prevention & control , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence, predictors and perpetrators of violence, and its impact on the mental health of female healthcare workers. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted from June to October 2022 at three tertiary care hospitals after approval from the ethics review board of Rawalpindi Medical University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, and comprised female healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses and paramedical staff. Data was collected regarding workplace violence using a structured questionnaire adopted from literature. The incidence of verbal, physical and sexual violence in the preceding 12 months was noted, and predictors were analysed. Data was analysed using SPSS 25. RESULTS: Of the 140 subjects with an age range of 16-60 years, verbal violence was experienced by 102(72.9%) and physical violence by 26(18.6%), while verbal and physical forms of sexual violence were reported by 33(23.6%) and 13(9.3%), respectively. Those in the Medicine department had significantly lower odds of experiencing verbal violence compared to those from the Surgery department (adjusted odds ratio=0.223; 95% confidence interval: 0.078-0.036; p=0.005). Those in the Emergency department had significantly greater odds of experiencing physical violence compared to those in Surgery (adjusted odds ratio=8.716; 95% confidence interval: 1.693-44.87; p=0.01). Violence had a significant detrimental impact on the mental health of female healthcare workers (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Violence was found to be prevalent in the healthcare sector, specifically in stressful and critical-care departments, like Emergency and Surgery.
Subject(s)
Tertiary Care Centers , Workplace Violence , Humans , Female , Pakistan/epidemiology , Adult , Cross-Sectional Studies , Workplace Violence/statistics & numerical data , Workplace Violence/psychology , Middle Aged , Tertiary Care Centers/statistics & numerical data , Prevalence , Young Adult , Adolescent , Health Personnel/statistics & numerical data , Health Personnel/psychology , Physical Abuse/statistics & numerical data , Physical Abuse/psychology , Sex Offenses/statistics & numerical data , Emergency Service, Hospital/statistics & numerical data , Risk Factors , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This study builds on prior research showing a strong relationship between handgun carrying and delinquent behaviors among urban youth by examining the association between handgun carrying trajectories and various types of violence in a rural sample. METHODS: This study uses data from a longitudinal cohort study of 2002 public school students in the United States from 12 rural communities across 7 states from ages 12-26 (2005-2019). We used logistic regressions to assess associations of various bullying and physical violence behaviors with latent trajectories of handgun carrying from adolescence through young adulthood. RESULTS: Compared to youth with very low probabilities of carrying a handgun in adolescence and young adulthood, trajectories with high probabilities of handgun carrying during adolescence or young adulthood were associated with greater odds of using bullying (odds ratios (ORs) ranging from 1.9 to 11.2) and higher odds of using physical violence during adolescence (ORs ranging from 1.5 to 15.9) and young adulthood (ORs ranging from 1.9 to 4.7). These trajectories with higher probabilities of handgun carrying were also associated with greater odds of experiencing physical violence like parental physical abuse and intimate partner violence, but not bullying. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATION: Experiencing and using bullying and physical violence were associated with specific patterns of handgun carrying among youth growing up in rural areas. Handgun carrying could be an important focus of violence prevention programs among those youth.
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Adolescent Behavior , Bullying , Crime Victims , Firearms , Intimate Partner Violence , Humans , Adolescent , United States , Young Adult , Adult , Child , Physical Abuse , Longitudinal Studies , ViolenceABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The Istanbul Convention calls for comprehensive care for victims of violence while maintaining forensic standards. After violent crimes, court usable documentation of injuries and securing of evidence is essential to avoid disadvantages for those affected in criminal prosecution. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study compares forensic relevant aspects in clinical forensic examination of victims of physical and sexual violence conducted by clinicians and forensic examiners. Forensic medical reports based on clinical documentation of individuals of all ages in the period from 2015 to 2018 (n = 132) were evaluated in comparison to a control group of examinations conducted by forensic specialists. A comparative statistical evaluation was performed. RESULTS: The study revealed statistically significant differences in forensically relevant aspects. In the clinical examinations, full-body examination was performed in only 37.9%, and concealed body sites were examined in 9.8%. Photo documentation was often incomplete (62.4%), without scale (59.1%), blurred (39.7%), or poorly exposed (31.2%). Information on size, color, shape, and texture of injuries was often missing. In about every third examination, the findings were not described purely objective. A body scheme was used only in 8.3% of the clinical cases. DISCUSSION: In order to establish nationwide care structures and the forensic standard required in criminal proceedings, intensive involvement of forensic medicine is essential. Standardized examination materials, regular training of medical staff, and telemedical approaches can improve the care for victims of violence regarding criminal prosecution.
Subject(s)
Crime Victims , Sex Offenses , Humans , Physical Abuse , Retrospective Studies , Violence , Forensic Medicine , Physical ExaminationABSTRACT
Client-perpetrated violence (CPV) can lead to worse health consequences. However, little attention is paid to the CPV experience among Chinese female sex workers. Our study aimed to assess the association between CPV experience and health risk behaviors among FSWs in China. Data used in this study was from the baseline interviewer-administered questionnaire of a cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in June-October 2020. The collected information included sociodemographic characteristics, HIV/STI symptoms, number of clients, quality of the workplace, and past CPV experience. The association between violence experience and potential HIV/STI risk factors was explored using multivariable regression. Among 480 FSWs who participated in this study, 13.5% experienced CPV in the past. Compared to those who had never experienced CPV, FSWs who experienced CPV were more likely to report previous STI-related symptoms (aOR 4.29, 95% CI 1.73-10.64), more than 15 clients in the past month (aOR 2.56, 95% CI 1.18-5.52), a history of HIV testing (aOR 2.99, 95% CI 1.64-5.46), and work at low-tier workplaces (aOR 2.09, 95% CI 1.18-3.70). Overall, CPV prevalence is not low among Chinese FSWs, and there are some associations with HIV/STI risk factors; a future intervention targeting CPV in HIV/STI prevention programs is needed.
Subject(s)
HIV Infections , Sex Workers , Sexually Transmitted Diseases , Female , Humans , HIV Infections/prevention & control , Sexually Transmitted Diseases/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Sex Work , Violence , China , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The increasing physical violence against doctors in the health sector has become an alarming global problem and a key concern for the health system in Bangladesh. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of physical violence against doctors in Bangladeshi tertiary care hospitals. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was performed among 406 doctors working in tertiary care hospitals. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and the binary logistic regression model was employed for predicting physical violence against doctors. RESULTS: Of the participants, 50 (12.3%) doctors reported being exposed to physical violence in 12 months prior to the survey. According to logistic regression analysis, aged less than 30 years or younger, male and never-married doctors were prone to physical violence. Similarly, doctors from public hospitals and those worked in emergency departments were at higher risk of physical violence. More than 70% of victims reported that patients' relatives were the main perpetrators. Two-thirds of the victims referred to violence in the hospitals as a grave concern. CONCLUSIONS: Physical violence against doctors is relatively common in the emergency departments and public hospitals in Bangladesh. This study found that male and younger doctors were at high risk of exposing physical violence. To prevent hospital violence, authorities must develop human resources, bolster patient protocol and offer physician training.
Subject(s)
Physicians , Workplace Violence , Humans , Male , Adult , Physical Abuse , Tertiary Care Centers , Prevalence , Cross-Sectional Studies , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Violence against women is a global public health problem that has numerous adverse effects. However, published literature regarding violence against housemaids during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia is lacking. The current study aims to explore the experiences of violence and associated factors among housemaids in Ethiopia. The findings may be useful to the design appropriate policies, programs and strategies to reduce the problem. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March, 2021 in Kombolcha Town, Ethiopia. A total of 215 housemaids aged 14 years and older were included in the study using a simple random sampling technique. A multivariable logistic regression model with 95% CI (confidence interval) was applied to identify significant factors of physical and sexual violence. Variables with a P-value < 0.05 were declared as factors significantly associated with violence. RESULTS: Among 215 housemaids, 33.49% (95% CI: 27.13-39.85%) reported physical violence and 21.4% (95% CI: 15.87-26.92) reported sexual violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, housemaids aged 19-23 years (AOR = 2.64, 95% CI: 1.01-6.89), who had a male employer (AOR = 2.39, 95% CI: 1.05-5.45), whose employers chewed chat (Catha edulis) (AOR = 3.78, 95% CI: 1.73-8.29), or drank alcohol (AOR = 2.90, 95% CI: 1.17-7.17) experienced more physical violence. Sexual violence was also associated with employers' alcohol consumption (AOR = 9.72, 95% CI: 3.12-20.31), employers' chat chewing (AOR = 7.40, 95% CI: 2.26-14.21) and male employers (AOR = 3.23, 95% CI: 1.22-8.52). CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that one in five housemaids and one in three housemaids experienced sexual violence and physical violence, respectively. Housemaids aged 19-23 years, having a male employer, having an employer who chewed chat (Catha edulis) or who drank alcohol were factors associated with physical violence, whereas employers' alcohol consumption, employers' chat chewing and male employers were factors associated with sexual violence.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Female , Male , Humans , COVID-19/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Pandemics , Violence , Physical Abuse , Ethanol , CathaABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Preventing and responding to gender-based violence (GBV) is both a human rights imperative and a multifaceted economic issue. GBV can also act as a barrier to economic empowerment. The aim of the study was to examine the association between women's empowerment (physical mobility, decision making and economic resources) and GBV among married youth in India. METHODS: Community based cross-sectional study was conducted among married youth in the age group of 15-24 years, in two selected districts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, India. The data was collected from 578 youth. Pre-validated scales were used to assess women's empowerment indicators (physical mobility, decision making and economic resources). The outcomes assessed were scales on physical and sexual violence. Multivariate regression models examined associations between women's empowerment, spousal characteristics, socio-economic status and demographics. RESULTS: The overall results of the study found that restricted physical mobility had a negative association with sexual violence [AOR: 0.49; CI 0.26-0.92]. Women with no decision-making power had higher odds of physical violence [AOR: 2.12; CI 0.01-4.43] and sexual violence [AOR: 1.96; CI 1.02-3.77]. Having no economic resources had a negative association with sexual violence [AOR: 0.19; CI 0.09-0.39]. Women going through spousal controlling behavior had a higher likelihood of physical [AOR: 3.79; CI 1.75-8.19] and sexual violence [AOR: 4.03; CI 2.09-7.79]. It was also found that married women from rural areas and other ethnic backgrounds had higher odds of physical violence. CONCLUSION: There is a crucial need to work towards women's empowerment, with progressive gender roles such as greater decision-making, physical mobility and economic resources to reduce GBV. An established method that has worked in various contexts is adopting gender transformative approaches that involve men.
Subject(s)
Gender-Based Violence , Male , Humans , Female , Adolescent , Young Adult , Adult , Cross-Sectional Studies , India , Marriage , Decision MakingABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: People who use drugs (PWUD) experience disproportionately high rates of violent victimization. Emerging research has demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated violence against some priority populations (e.g., women), however there is limited research examining the impact of the pandemic on the experiences of violence of PWUD. METHODS: Using data collected between July and November 2020 from three prospective cohort studies of PWUD in Vancouver, Canada, we employed multivariable logistic regression stratified by gender to identify factors associated with recent experiences of violence, including the receipt of COVID-19 emergency income support. RESULTS: In total, 77 (17.3%) of 446 men, and 54 (18.8%) of 288 women experienced violence in the previous six months. Further, 33% of men and 48% of women who experienced violence reported that their experience of violence was intensified since the COVID-19 pandemic began. In the multivariable analyses, sex work (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 2.15, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06-4.35) and moderate to severe anxiety or depression (AOR = 3.00, 95% CI: 1.37-6.57) were associated with experiencing violence among women. Among men, drug dealing (AOR = 1.93, 95%CI: 1.10-3.38), street-based income sources (AOR = 1.93, 95%CI: 1.10-3.38), homelessness (AOR = 2.54, 95%CI: 1.40-4.62), and regular employment (AOR = 2.97, 95% CI: 1.75-5.04) were associated with experiencing violence. CONCLUSION: Our study results suggest economic conditions and gender were major factors associated with experiencing violence among our sample of PWUD during COVID-19. These findings highlight criminalization of drug use and widespread socioeconomic challenges as barriers to addressing violence among PWUD during periods of crisis.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Pandemics , Male , Humans , Female , Canada/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Prospective Studies , COVID-19/epidemiology , ViolenceABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Identifying occupational health hazards among Registered Nurses (RNs) and other health personnel and implementing effective preventive measures are crucial to the long-term sustainability of health services. The objectives of this study were (1) to assess the 12-month prevalence rates of exposure to workplace aggression, including physical violence, threats of violence, sexual harassment, and bullying; (2) to identify whether the perpetrators were colleagues, managers, subordinates, or patients and their relatives; (3) to determine whether previous exposure to these hazards was associated with RNs' current turnover intention; and (4) to frame workplace aggression from an occupational health and safety perspective. METHODS: The third version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ III) was used to assess RNs' exposure to workplace aggression and turnover intention. A national sample of 8,800 RNs in Norway, representative of the entire population of registered nurses in terms of gender and geography, was analysed. Binary and ordinal logistic regression analyses were conducted, and odds for exposure and intention to leave are presented, with and without controls for RNs' gender, age, and the type of health service they work in. RESULTS: The 12-month prevalence rates for exposure were 17.0% for physical violence, 32.5% for threats of violence, 12.6% for sexual harassment, and 10.5% for bullying. In total, 42.6% of the RNs had experienced at least one of these types of exposure during the past 12 months, and exposure to more than one of these hazards was common. Most perpetrators who committed physical acts and sexual harassment were patients, while bullying was usually committed by colleagues. There was a strong statistical association between exposure to all types of workplace aggression and RNs' intention to leave. The strongest association was for bullying, which greatly increased the odds of looking for work elsewhere. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts to prevent exposure to workplace aggression should be emphasised to retain health personnel and to secure the supply of skilled healthcare workers. The results indicate a need for improvements. To ensure the sustainability of health services, labour and health authorities should join forces to develop effective workplace measures to strengthen prevention, mitigation, and preparedness regarding incidents of workplace aggression in health services and the response and recovery regarding incidents that could not be prevented.
Subject(s)
Bullying , Nurses , Workplace Violence , Humans , Prevalence , Intention , Aggression , Workplace/psychology , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Reproductive coercion victimization (RCV) is a significant public health issue that negatively affects women's sexual and reproductive health outcomes. Less is known about reproductive coercion perpetration (RCP). Few studies have examined these phenomena among representative samples of Black women. METHODS: Retrospective data of women (n = 298) attending STD clinics in Baltimore, MD were analyzed. We calculated lifetime and 12-month prevalence reports of reproductive coercion, and reported values stratified by forced sex history. Binomial logistic regression models were used to examine the association between forced sex history and RCV, accounting for other types of violence typologies. RESULTS: Lifetime and past 12-month RCV and RCP prevalence were higher among women with forced sex experiences than their counterparts (Lifetime RCV: 46.9% versus 17.5%; past 12-month RCV: 19.4% versus 8.5%. Lifetime RCP: 24.5% versus 17%; past 12-month RCP: 13.3% versus 10.5%). Adjusted models, lifetime reproductive coercion: Women reporting forced sex had a 3.58 times higher odds of having had experienced RCV compared to women not reporting forced sex (AOR 3.58; 95% CI 2.00, 6.46). Women reporting forced sex had a 3.66 times higher odds of having ever experienced pregnancy coercion compared to their counterparts (AOR 3.66; 95% CI 1.93, 7.03) and 4.30 times higher odds of having ever experienced condom manipulation (AOR 4.30; 95% CI 2.15, 8.86). Adjusted models, past 12-month reproductive coercion: Women reporting forced sex had a 2.72 times higher odds of having had experienced past 12-month RCV compared to women not reporting forced sex (AOR 2.72; 95% CI 1.27, 5.91). Women reporting forced sex had a 3.25 times higher odds of having experienced past 12-month pregnancy coercion compared to their counterparts (AOR 3.25; 95% CI 1.38, 7.83) and 3.41 times higher odds of having experienced past 12-month condom manipulation (AOR 3.41; 95% CI 1.14, 10.98). CONCLUSIONS: Participants in our study reported high rates of RCV. Our novel exploration revealed significantly high rates of co-occurring forced sex experiences and RCV and initial prevalence report of RCP. Agencies have a unique opportunity to intervene by implementing screening protocols and referrals for supportive services. These findings may inform future intervention research efforts aimed at improving reproductive health outcomes among Black women.
Subject(s)
Coercion , Intimate Partner Violence , Female , Humans , Pregnancy , Baltimore/epidemiology , Retrospective Studies , Sexual Partners , Sexually Transmitted Diseases/epidemiology , Black or African AmericanABSTRACT
The data of this descriptive and correlational study were collected from 583 women between October 2021 and December 2021 with information form, Brief Resilience Scale, Oxford Happiness Scale-Short Form, Epidemiological Research Center Depression Scale, Heartland Forgiveness Scale, and Life Satisfaction Scale. There is a statistically significant difference between the resilience, happiness, and life satisfaction levels of women exposed to physical violence from their partners and the presence of depression (p < .001). A statistically significant difference was found between the presence of depression and resilience, happiness, and life satisfaction (p < .001) and forgiveness (p = .004) in women who were exposed to emotional violence from their partners. While resilience, happiness, and life satisfaction levels decreased in women who were exposed to physical violence from their partners, the incidence of depression increased. While the presence of depression increased in women who were exposed to emotional violence from their partners, the level of resilience, happiness, life satisfaction, and forgiveness decreased.