Prevalence and influencing factors of workplace violence among doctors in Northeast China: a cross-sectional study

Workplace violence (WPV) against healthcare workers has become a growing problem, which seriously affects the medical service market and is the focus of global concern. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of WPV among doctors in tertiary general hospitals in Northeast China, and to analyze the influencing factors of WPV, so as to provide a reference for the development of targeted and effective prevention strategies and measures of WPV. A cross-sectional survey was conducted at two tertiary general hospitals in Dalian, Liaoning Province, Northeast China, from February to March 2024. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire covering WPV situations, sociodemographic characteristics, work situations, and psychosocial factors. A binary logistic regression model was employed to assess the independent influencing factors of WPV. A total of 503 doctors were included in this study, of whom 31.8% reported experiencing WPV. Binary logistic regression analysis identified that years of work experience of 6-15 years (OR: 1.984, 95% CI: 1.201-3.277, P = 0.007) and > 15 years (OR: 2.608, 95% CI: 1.482-4.588, P = 0.001), number of night shifts per month > 3 times (OR: 1.656, 95% CI: 1.094-2.506, P = 0.017), anxiety symptoms (OR: 1.752, 95% CI: 1.070-2.868, P = 0.026), and poor doctor-patient relationship (OR: 1.645, 95% CI: 1.060-2.553, P = 0.026) were risk factors for WPV. However, good self-rated quality of life (OR: 0.533, 95% CI: 0.335-0.850, P = 0.008) was a protective factor for WPV. Due to the cross-sectional design, the possibility of inferences of causal relationships between study variables was limited. The incidence of WPV was high among doctors in tertiary general hospitals in Northeast China, and it was affected by many factors. Therefore, it is urgent to develop effective interventions to alleviate the WPV suffered by doctors, and more attention should be paid to doctors with risk factors.