The Prevalence of Violence Against Healthcare Workers in Kosovo During Covid-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Abstract

Background and aims: Workplace violence (WPV) against healthcare personnel is now a recorded issue that impacts their daily practice. The primary aim of this study was to ascertain the prevalence and underlying factors contributing to violence against health workers in Kosovo during the challenging period of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Methods: This study is a cross-sectional research approach that involves quantitative research, and it was conducted with 1110 healthcare workers from all three levels of healthcare facilities between January and February 2022.

Results: Sixty-nine (6.2%) health workers reported being physically assaulted, 462 (41.6%) experienced psychological violence, and 54 (4.9%) experienced sexual harassment in the previous twelve months. There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of physical violence and sexual harassment, among all three levels of healthcare institutions (x ² : 2.491, and 2.577, respectively, p > 0.05). The prevalence of psychological violence was significantly higher in tertiary healthcare institutions compared to primary and secondary healthcare institutions (x ² :7.165, p = 0.028). 19 out of 69 (27.5%) reported being hurt as a result of physical violence and seeking medical care. The patients' relatives were the most common physical attackers (36.2%), followed by the patients themselves (34.8%). During the COVID-19 pandemic, 54.5% of respondents reported being sexually harassed more frequently than before the pandemic (45.5%). 38.9% (n = 432) of respondents were uninformed of a procedure for reporting violence within the healthcare facility.

Conclusion: The prevalence of physical and psychological violence, and sexual harassment among healthcare workers in Kosovo is upsetting and inexcusable. The absence of proper reactions in the event of violence, as well as awareness about how to report incidences of violence, indicates an urgent and necessary need for healthcare workers education on this subject.