Mediating Effect of Work Stress on the Associations Between Psychological Job Demands, Social Approval, and Workplace Violence Among Health Care Workers in Sichuan Province of China

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of workplace violence against health care workers, to explore the combined association of work stress, psychological job demands, and social approval with workplace violence and their respective mechanisms among health care workers.Methods: Using data from the Chinese Sixth National Health Service Survey (NHSS) in 2018 conducted among 1,371 health care workers in Sichuan province of China. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect data on health care workers' socio-demographic and work-related characteristics, work stress, psychological job demands, social approval, and workplace violence. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypothesized relationship among the variables.Results: The results showed that a total of 77.0% health care workers were exposed to workplace violence. Work stress was directly related to workplace violence (β = 2.167, 95%CI: 1.707, 2.627), while psychological job demands and social approval had indirect associations with workplace violence via work stress [β = 0.427, 95%CI: 0.297, 0.557; β = −0.787, 95%CI: (−0.941)–(−0.633)]. Both psychological job demands (β = 0.197, 95%CI: 0.139, 0.255) and social approval [β = −0.346, 95%CI: (−0.399)–(−0.294)] had direct associations with work stress, while social approval had direct association with psychological job demands [β = −0.085, 95%CI: (−0.136)–(−0.034)]. Psychological job demands mediated the relationship between social approval and work stress.Conclusion: Overall, decreasing workplace violence among health care workers requires to promote interventions to reduce work stress and psychological job demands by improving social approval.

Gender Differences for the Prevalence and Risk Factors of Workplace Violence Among Healthcare Professionals in Shandong, China

“…For the positive association between working hours and WPV among FHPs, it may be caused by the work-family conflict for females. For most of the females, they need to take care of their families, and long working hours may result in work-family conflict ( 57 ), which may further result in higher work stress and WPV ( 58 , 59 ).…”

Prevalence and factors associated with workplace violence against Brazilian multiprofessional residents during the pandemic

“…In a national study, for example, a prevalence of 62% was found among nursing professionals working in oncology 14 . In China 24 and Nigeria 25 , rates in multiprofessional samples were 77% and 88% respectively; and in Bosnia-Herzegovina 26 , it was 90% among primary care physicians and nurses.…”

Associations between work-related variables and workplace violence among Chinese medical staff: A comparison between physical and verbal violence

“…Due to the importance of WPV, several studies had been conducted to explore the factors associated with WPV against medical staff, and several associated factors were identified, such as social-demographic (12,13), psychological and physical health (9,(14)(15)(16)(17)(18), and work-related variables (19)(20)(21)(22). For work-related variables, most of these studies focused on the association between work stress, work burnout, social support, work environment, and WPV (19)(20)(21)(22). The work for medical staff was characterized by long working hours, frequent night duty, and a high workload (23,24).…”