Correlates of verbal abuse among health workers in Greater Accra, Ghana: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Abstract Background Workplace violence remains a critical public health issue, with verbal abuse being present in over 50% of reported cases. Additionally, instances of verbal abuse frequently remain unreported, resulting in a considerable proportion being inaccurately assessed and unrecorded. Significantly, there is scarcity of information on its predisposing factors. This study examined the relationship between socio-demographic, lifestyle, and occupational factors, and the prevalence of verbal abuse among health workers in Ghana. Methods A cross-sectional study with an analytical approach was conducted across multiple facilities in the Greater Accra region from January 30 to May 31, 2023. Study participants were selected through simple random sampling. The analysis was done using STATA 15 software. Factors linked to exposure to verbal abuse were determined using log-binomial regression analysis, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results A survey was conducted among 602 health workers in ten (10) private and public hospitals. The prevalence of verbal abuse was 53.8% [95% CI: (49.7%-57.9%)]. Approximately half, 162 (50.0%) of verbal abuse occurrence were perpetrated by patients’ relatives. Being a housekeeper [APR = 1.49 (1.07, 2.08)], being on on-call duties [APR = 1.25 (1.08, 1.46)], and frequent exposure to work pressure [APR = 1.16 (1.00, 1.35)] were factors significantly associated with exposure to verbal abuse. Conclusion The exposure to verbal abuse among health workers was elevated. Nearly half of the reported verbal abuse cases were perpetrated by patients’ relatives. Housekeeping roles, pressure at work and on-call duties were related to verbal aggression among health workers in Ghana. Health administrators, managers, and policymakers can ease work pressure and on-call responsibilities in the healthcare sector by implementing measures to steadily augment the labour force.