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This article describes the risk factors and protective strategies associated with workplace violence perpetrated by patients and visitors against healthcare workers. Perpetrator risk factors for patients and visitors in healthcare settings include mental health disorders, drug or alcohol use, inability to deal with situational crises, possession of weapons, and being a victim of violence. Worker risk factors are gender, age, years of experience, hours worked, marital status, and previous workplace violence training. Setting and environmental risk factors for experiencing workplace violence include time of day and presence of security cameras. Protective strategies for combating the negative consequences of workplace violence include carrying a telephone, practicing self-defense, instructing perpetrators to stop being violent, self- and social support, and limiting interactions with potential or known perpetrators of violence. Workplace violence is a serious and growing problem that affects all healthcare professionals. Strategies are needed to prevent workplace violence and manage the negative consequences experienced by healthcare workers following violent events.

Violence against caregivers is not a new phenomenon. Caregivers have experienced verbal and physical assaults from nursing home residents for many years. However, because much of the violence has been associated with demented or mentally ill residents, the word aggression was used in lieu of violence. This study found that the caregivers and nursing directors considered the assaults to be violence. The study suggests that such violence occurs frequently and is of concern to caregivers and nursing directors. The study also suggests that nursing homes may not have policies or procedures in place for preventing, monitoring, and controlling violence in their workplaces. In 1996, OSHA published violence prevention guidelines for health are facilities. These guidelines support OSHA's mandate that employees are entitled to a safe and healthy workplace (OSHA, 1996b). Although it is not possible to prevent all violence against caregivers in this unique setting, nursing home directors and administrators have a legal and moral responsibility to develop an action plan to minimize the violence and plan interventions for its effects. Violence against caregivers in nursing homes no longer can be thought of as expected, tolerated, and accepted. Quality of care and employee well-being depend on it.

Healthcare facilities should continue to measure WPB in the work environment after policy implementation as well as eliminate negative behaviors through root-cause analysis to correct environmental factors associated with WPB.

The relationship between BMI and presenteeism is characterized by a threshold effect, where extremely or moderately obese workers are significantly less productive than mildly obese workers.

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This article studies risk factors for physical and social disability among U.S. adults ages 55+ who have arthritis, compared to non-arthritis persons of those ages. The dependent variables refer to difficulties in walking, physical functioning (motions and strength), personal care, and household care. The data set is the Supplement on Aging (SOA) (n = 16,148) that accompanied the 1984 National Health Interview Survey. The SOA data are cross-sectional; relationships of risk factors to disability suggest causation but do not directly demonstrate it. Logistic regressions show that risk factors are similar for arthritis and non-arthritis people, with one important exception. (1) The similarities are: For both groups, odds of disability rise with age, diminish with education, and are higher for non-whites and non-married persons. Disability rises with number of chronic diseases and impairments, and it is elevated for underweight persons (Body Mass Index (BMI) less than 20; further analysis indicates this reflects incomplete control of their severe illness status). Long duration of arthritis and recent medical care for it are associated with disability. (2) The exception is: Severe overweight (BMI greater than or equal to 30) is a disability risk factor for arthritis people, but not for non-arthritis people. Previous research has shown that obesity/overweight is a risk factor for etiology of osteoarthritis; our analysis now shows its continued importance for disability when the disease is present.

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