The Impact of Workplace Violence on Headache and Sleep Problems in Nurses

Nicola Magnavita (), Luca Mele, Igor Meraglia, Marco Merella, Maria Eugenia Vacca, Anna Cerrina, Maddalena Gabriele, Marcella Labella, Maria Teresa Soro, Simona Ursino and Carmela Matera
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Nicola Magnavita: Postgraduate School of Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Roma, Italy
Luca Mele: Postgraduate School of Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Roma, Italy
Igor Meraglia: Postgraduate School of Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Roma, Italy
Marco Merella: Postgraduate School of Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Roma, Italy
Maria Eugenia Vacca: Postgraduate School of Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Roma, Italy
Anna Cerrina: Local Healthcare Unit Roma 4, 00053 Civitavecchia, Italy
Maddalena Gabriele: Local Healthcare Unit Roma 4, 00053 Civitavecchia, Italy
Marcella Labella: Local Healthcare Unit Roma 4, 00053 Civitavecchia, Italy
Maria Teresa Soro: Local Healthcare Unit Roma 4, 00053 Civitavecchia, Italy
Simona Ursino: Local Healthcare Unit Roma 4, 00053 Civitavecchia, Italy
Carmela Matera: Local Healthcare Unit Roma 4, 00053 Civitavecchia, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 20, 1-12

Abstract: Workplace violence (WV) is a significant occupational hazard for nurses. Previous studies have shown that WV has a reciprocal relationship with occupational stress. Headaches and sleep problems are early neuropsychological signs of distress. This cross-sectional study aims to ascertain the frequency of physical or verbal assaults on nurses and to study the association of WV with headaches and sleep problems. During their regular medical examination in the workplace, 550 nurses and nursing assistants (105 males, 19.1%; mean age 48.02 ± 9.98 years) were asked to fill in a standardized questionnaire containing the Violent Incident Form (VIF) concerning the episodes of violence experienced, the Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) regarding headaches, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory (PSQI) on sleep quality. Occupational stress was measured using the Effort/Reward Imbalance questionnaire (ERI). Physical and non-physical violence experienced in the previous year was reported by 7.5% and 17.5% of workers, respectively. In the univariate logistic regression models, the workers who experienced violence had an increased risk of headaches and sleep problems. After adjusting for sex, age, job type, and ERI, the relationship between physical violence and headaches remained significant (adjusted odds ratio aOR = 2.25; confidence interval CI95% = 1.11; 4.57). All forms of WV were significantly associated with poor sleep in a multivariate logistic regression model adjusted for sex, age, job type, and ERI (aOR = 2.35 CI95% = 1.44; 3.85). WV was also associated with the impact of headaches and with sleep quality. WV prevention may reduce the frequency of lasting psychoneurological symptoms, such as headaches and poor sleep quality, that interfere with the ability to work.

Keywords: workplace health promotion; healthcare workers; effort/reward imbalance; occupational risk; work ability; quality of care (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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