Frequency and types of workplace violence against emergency medical technicians: a cross-sectional study in Tehran, Iran

Alireza Baratloo; Peyman Saberian; Mahdi Rezaie; Pirhossein Kolivand; Parisa  Hasani-Sharamin; Maryam Bahreini

doi:10.18502/fem.v6i4.10436

Alireza Baratloo Research Center for Trauma in Police Operation, Directorate of Health, Rescue and Treatment, Police Headquarter, Tehran, Iran.
Peyman Saberian Prehospital and Hospital Emergency Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Mahdi Rezaie Emergency Medicine Management Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Pirhossein Kolivand Department of Health Economics, Faculty of Medicine, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.
Parisa Hasani-Sharamin Tehran Emergency Medical Service Center, Tehran, Iran.
Maryam Bahreini Prehospital and Hospital Emergency Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/fem.v6i4.10436

Keywords: Aggression; Emergency Medical Technicians; Emergency Medical Services; Iran; Workplace Violence

Abstract

Objective: This study was implemented to assess various types of violent incidents involving emergency medical technicians (EMTs) working in Tehran, Iran. Furthermore, the characteristics of violent people and possible causes of their violence were assessed.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 500 EMTs working in the capital city of Tehran were randomly invited. The participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire of workplace violence. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were also performed for identifying the possible risk factors of violence. In addition, the distribution and association of violence patterns were also analyzed considering demographic features and characteristics of violent people.

Results: In total, 320 EMTs with the mean age of 31.8 ± 6.7 years participated, 315 (98.4%) of whom were men. Overall, 279 (87.2%) out of the 320 participants experienced 654 episodes of violence, mostly bullying, in the last 4 months. The relationship between the level of education and experiencing violent incidents was statistically significant (p=0.035). Also, non-Persian EMTs had experienced significantly more violent behaviors than Persian EMTs [171 (91.0%) vs. 108 (81.8%); p=0.016]. Nonetheless, the prevalence of violent incidents was not significantly correlated with marital status, years of work experience, employment situation, and working hours. The odds of facing violent behavior among EMTs with associate degree was 2.9 times higher than those with technical diploma (p=0.048). Furthermore, the odds of experiencing violence among non-Persian EMTs was 2.2 times higher than Persian EMTs (p=0.039).

Conclusion: We found that EMTs had faced numerous episodes of violence in their workplace, especially verbal threats, which were more prevalently committed by patients’ relatives during night shifts.