RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Workplace aggressions on hospital workers is a very frequent and under-reported problem. OBJECTIVE: The novel objective of our study was to analyze the number of workplace aggressions per hospital worker. Other objectives of the study were to analyze the management knowledge and interest in receiving training on aggressions by hospital workers. METHODS: An anonymous survey was handed out among all professionals in a university hospital. RESULTS: A total of 1118 anonymous surveys were collected. The responders declared that throughout their working life they had suffered some sort of verbal aggression in the hospital in 766 cases (68.5%) and physical aggression in 393 cases (35.2%). Multiple logistic regression analyses found higher risk of receiving physical and verbal aggression in the nursing category and in the Emergency, Critical Care or Psychiatry Units, and a higher risk of receiving physical aggression in women. The score on the level of personal knowledge regarding the legal, physical, and psychological management of aggressions (score 0-10 for each of the 3 aspects) was 2.91±2.68 in legal management, 2.97±2.77 in psychological management and 2.91±2.76 in physical management. The opinion about the interest of receiving training (score from 0 to 10) on the legal management of hospital aggressions was 8.90±1.72, on psychological management was 8.85±1.78 and on physical management was 8.88±1.78. CONCLUSIONS: Workplace aggression on hospital workers mainly affects women, the nursing category and the Emergency, Critical Care or Psychiatry Units. Hospital workers showed little knowledge on the topic but a great interest in receiving training.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The tobacco smoking epidemic is causing more deaths than anyone before. Young population is the main aim of tobacco advertisements. We estimated the prevalence of tobacco use among adolescents and their environment, the agreement of questionnaire and serum cotinine and the total prevalence of exposure (active plus pasive). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study in 439 highschool students. We obtained a blood sample and anonimously inquired about their tobacco consumption and the existence of smokers in their environment. We analized the agreement between both methods. RESULTS: 56% have ever smoked tobacco. Declared prevalence of consumption was 34% (CI95%= 29.49-38.51), being 40% among girls and 23% among boys. The agreement between cotinine and declaration was high only in voluntary smokers (Kappa = 0.68 for 1 o more cigarettes/day and Kappa = 0.76 for 10 or more cigarettes/day). Smoking prevalence of the famliy, friends and school among smokers was higher (80%, 71% and 88%, respectively) than among non smokers (65%, 24% and 78%). Combining questionnaire and cotinine it was estimated that total prevalence of exposure was larger than 64%. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of exposure and the asociation of tobacco smoking among adolescents and their environment demands an educational program against tobacco including family, social and school environments. The agreement between declaration and serum cotinine is high only when consumption is daily.
