Prevalence of violence against health professionals during the covid-19 pandemic¹
Abstract
Objective: To identify the prevalence of work-related violence among health professionals during COVID-19. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in 36 health units, between October and December 2020, with 174 professionals. Data collection was done through a semi-structured questionnaire available through Google Forms, containing sociodemographic data and questions about violence at work. The statistical analysis used Cox regression. Results: The prevalence of violence was 76.4%, with a predominance of verbal violence (95.5%), followed by moral/psychological violence (36.9%), physical violence (19.6%) and sexual harassment (12.8%). Significant associations were found between sexual harassment and sex, moral/psychological violence and marital status, and physical aggression and time in the unit. The underreporting rate was 79.5%. Conclusion: Violence at work during the pandemic was worrying, with impacts on the health of professionals. Preventive strategies and improvements in notification mechanisms are essential to address this problem.
¹The manuscript originates from the dissertation: Prevention actions related to occupational violence among health workers in the health care network of Campo Grande/MS, presented to the Postgraduate Program in Nursing of the Integrated Health Institute of the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS).
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