Violence at Work and Mental Distress among Firefighters in Guatemala
| Autor: | Katja Radon, Claudia Meneses Pinto, Frank J. H. van Dijk |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2018 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Male Cross-sectional study Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 Occupational safety and health 03 medical and health sciences Mental distress 0302 clinical medicine Surveys and Questionnaires Environmental health Prevalence Humans Medicine 030212 general & internal medicine Occupational Health Original Research Retrospective Studies Workplace violence business.industry General Medicine Middle Aged Guatemala 030210 environmental & occupational health Mental health Distress Cross-Sectional Studies Mental Health Sexual abuse Firefighters Workplace Violence General Health Questionnaire Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 business Stress Psychological Follow-Up Studies |
| Zdroj: | Annals of Global Health, Vol 84, Iss 3, Pp 532-537 (2018) Annals of Global Health |
| ISSN: | 2214-9996 |
| Popis: | Background Firefighting is a highly physically and mentally demanding occupation. In many countries, firefighters are frequently exposed to critical events, violent threats and assault in their job, however, knowledge about its prevalence is limited. In addition, little is known about the impact of workplace violence against firefighters in the development of mental distress. Objective We aimed to determine the prevalence of mental distress in firefighters exposed to workplace violence. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 141 male full-time firefighters of Guatemala City and Metropolitan Area (response 80.4%) were invited to answer an interview-based questionnaire including items on sociodemographics, working conditions and mental health (general health questionnaire GHQ-12). Mental distress was defined as a GHQ-12 score above 4. The item '12-months prevalence of violence on the job' included physical violence or sexual abuse from colleagues or the public. Statistical analysis with Epiinfo 7 included descriptive, bivariate and logistic regression analyses. Findings Exposure to violence at the workplace was common (37%). Prevalence of mental distress was higher in violence-exposed firefighters (54%) than among unexposed firemen (39%; p = 0.08). After adjustment, the odds for distress was not statistically significantly increased for those exposed to violence at the workplace in comparison to the unexposed group (1.87; 0.90-3.87). Especially affected by distress were middle-aged firefighters (40-49 years; adjusted Odds Ratio 2.90; 95% Confidence interval 1.20-7.05) compared to younger firemen (l40 years). Conclusions Exposure to violence at the workplace is common in Guatemalan firefighters. Although limited by small numbers, the association between violence and poor mental health is plausible. Therefore, training programs strengthening resilience among firefighters in areas with high crime prevalence are warranted. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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