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Table 4 Characteristics, reasons, and reactions to WPV among general practitioners

From: Prevalence and associated factors for workplace violence among general practitioners in China: a national cross-sectional study

Variable

Any type of WPV* n (%)

Physical violence n (%)

Non-physical violence n (%)

Total

624 (100.00)

236 (100.00)

614 (100.00)

Perpetrators

 Patients

316 (50.64)

102 (43.22)

313 (50.98)

 Patients’ families

252 (40.38)

111(47.03)

245 (39.90)

 Colleagues

8 (1.28)

5 (2.12)

8 (1.30)

 Managers/Supervisors

3 (0.48)

0 (0.00)

3 (0.49)

 External colleagues

1 (0.16)

0 (0.00)

1 (0.16)

 General public

20 (3.21)

9 (3.81)

20 (3.26)

 Visitors

11 (1.76)

6 (2.54)

11 (1.79)

 Others

13 (2.08)

3 (1.27)

13 (2.12)

Sex of perpetrators

 Male

496 (79.49)

187 (79.24)

487 (79.32)

 Female

128 (20.51)

49 (20.76)

127 (20.68)

Age of perpetrators (years)

 < 30

26 (4.17)

13 (5.51)

24 (3.91)

 30–

86 (13.78)

42 (17.80)

84 (13.68)

 40–

127 (20.35)

55 (23.31)

125 (20.36)

 50–

185 (29.65)

68 (28.81)

183 (29.80)

 ≥ 60

198 (31.73)

57 (24.15)

196 (31.92)

Time of violence

 Morning shifts

331 (53.04)

103 (43.64)

326 (53.09)

 Afternoon shifts

158 (25.32)

56 (23.73)

156 (25.41)

 Night shifts

101 (16.19)

60 (25.42)

100 (16.29)

 After hours

34 (5.45)

17 (7.20)

32 (5.21)

Settings of violence

 Wards

31 (4.97)

18 (7.63)

29 (4.72)

 GPs’ office

468 (75.00)

181 (76.69)

464 (75.57)

 Nurse station

25 (4.01)

9 (3.81)

24 (3.91)

 On the road off work

5 (0.80)

2 (0.85)

5 (0.81)

 Others

95 (15.22)

26 (11.02)

92 (14.98)

Reasons for violence

 Long waiting times

208 (33.33)

75 (31.78)

206 (33.55)

 Dissatisfied with GPs’ service

175 (28.04)

67 (28.39)

171 (27.85)

 Unmet patient needs

447 (71.63)

167 (70.76)

444 (72.31)

 Patients’ death

22 (3.53)

10 (4.24)

21 (3.42)

 Perpetrators’ mental disorder

56 (8.97)

26 (11.02)

54 (8.79)

 Thinking medical costs high

136 (21.79)

55 (23.31)

134 (21.82)

 Requiring financial compensation

49 (7.85)

24 (10.17)

48 (7.82)

 After taking drugs/drinking

86 (13.78)

44 (18.64)

84 (13.68)

 Dissatisfied with treatment effect

117 (18.75)

46 (19.49)

117 (19.06)

 Others

99 (15.87)

39 (16.53)

98 (15.96)

Reactions to violence

 Took no action

197 (31.57)

67 (28.39)

196 (31.92)

 Tried to pretend it never happened

91 (14.58)

40 (16.95)

91 (14.82)

 Stopped the perpetrators

187 (29.97)

67 (28.39)

183 (29.80)

 Told friends/families

59 (9.46)

22 (9.32)

57 (9.28)

 Told colleagues

153 (24.52)

61 (25.85)

153 (24.92)

 Sought help from managers

206 (33.01)

80 (33.90)

206 (33.55)

 Sought help from union

35 (5.61)

20 (8.47)

34 (5.54)

 Called the police

111 (17.79)

69 (29.24)

105 (17.10)

 Transferred to another position

5 (0.80)

3 (1.27)

5 (0.81)

 Completed a WPV report

71 (11.38)

29 (12.29)

71 (11.56)

 Prosecuted

4 (0.64)

3 (1.27)

4 (0.65)

 Others

64 (10.26)

22 (9.32)

64 (10.42)

  1. WPV workplace violence, GPs general practitioners
  2. Includes those who experienced only physical, only non-physical, or both types of workplace violence