Workplace violence in the healthcare sector: the experience of State health employees in Bahia State, Brazil

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of self-reported violence suffered by healthcare workers, using a cross-sectional design with a sample of 679 State health employees through face-to-face interviews and a questionnaire. Of the respondents, 25.9% (95%CI: 22.6%-29.2%) reported having suffered at least one form of violence, with verbal aggression as the most frequent (19.4%). Women aged 25-39 suffered 80% more violence than older women (OR = 1.8; 95%CI: 1.1-3.0). Female physicians were the most frequently affected group (OR = 2.5; 95%CI: 1.2-12.5). Among men, a nearly fourfold increase in healthcare workplace violence was associated with age 25 to 39 years (OR = 3.9; 95%CI: 1.9-16.4) and nurse assistants or nurse technicians (PR = 3.9; 95%CI: 1.1-13.2). This study can help raise awareness concerning healthcare workplace violence and support policies for health workers’ care, with repercussions on quality of care for health services users.