The relationship between healthcare providers' performance regarding women experiencing domestic violence and their demographic characteristics and attitude towards their management

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Domestic violence (DV) can threaten women's health. Healthcare providers (HCPs) may be the first to come into contact with a victim of DV. Their appropriate performance regarding a victim of DV can decrease its complications. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between HCPs' performance regarding women experiencing DV, demographic characteristics, and attitudes towards their management. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 300 emergency and maternity HCPs were selected using quota random sampling from February to May 2016. All hospitals affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (Iran), which are referral centers for DV cases, were selected according to a census. The inclusion criteria included 1 year or more of professional experience and at least 1 encounter with a woman experiencing DV. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire. SPSS was used to analyze the data. Cronbach's alpha was utilized to assess the reliability of the questionnaire. In order to obtain a general description of the data (variables, mean, and standard deviation), the table of frequencies was designed. Moreover, to determine the relationships between variables, chi-square test was applied. RESULTS: The results showed that there were no associations between HCPs' performance regarding DV and their demographic characteristics except their age, professional experience, and economic status. However, there was a significant association between HCPs' attitudes towards providing services (P=0.017) and their performance regarding women experiencing DV (P less than 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: To improve HCPs' performance regarding DV, paying attention to other related factors (i.e., training, employing HCPs with high professional experience, and codifying guidelines) is essential. Moreover, elements which result in the creation of positive attitudes and taking care of DV victims should be encouraged.