ABSTRACT
Introduction Workplace violence is a common problem that is encountered by healthcare workers worldwide; however, it is still under-studied in Saudi Arabia. This study aims to determine the prevalence of workplace violence and to explore reasons for not reporting it among healthcare workers in a tertiary medical city in Riyadh. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among 404 healthcare workers who had direct contact with patients or their relatives in a tertiary care medical city in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Data were analyzed using Statistical Analysis Software Package (SPSS; IBM, Armonk, NY, USA). Results Most participants (81.4%) had experienced verbal, physical, academic, or sexual violence. Approximately 39.6% of those who experienced workplace violence did not report the incident, and the most common reason for not reporting was identified as "reporting would not accomplish anything" (49.4%). About 27.5% of violence victims did not know how to report the incidents. Patients or their relatives were the main sources of violence across all violence categories except academic violence, in which consultant physicians were the main source. Conclusions The prevalence of workplace violence in the population studied was higher than anticipated compared to similar studies both in Saudi Arabia and globally. Almost half of those who were subjected to violence did not report the incident, believing that reporting would not change anything. There is arguably an urgent need to develop strategies that reduce workplace violence and facilitate reporting it in hospitals. Moreover, awareness programs regarding the negative impacts of violence against healthcare workers on the quality of care are necessary.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Postponing childbearing is becoming increasingly common among higher education students. The awareness about the extent of the age-related decline in female fertility is unknown in Saudi Arabia. The main aim of the study was to assess fertility awareness, particularly age-related fertility decline, and attitudes toward parenthood. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted utilizing a self-administered questionnaire which was filled by 248 female students in multiple colleges at King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Science (KSAU-HS). The questionnaire adapted from the Swedish Fertility Awareness Questionnaire; it contains 31 items that can be grouped into five categories: Sociodemographic characteristics, the future intention of having children, important circumstances for the decision to have children, which have seven items, participant perception regarding motherhood impact on life, and knowledge about fertility issues. RESULTS: Nearly 80% of undergraduate female students want to have children. They have a positive attitude toward parenthood. On the other hand, 85% of the respondents plan to postpone having children until they finish their studies and have a stable career. CONCLUSION: The study revealed that most of the students are concerned about childbearing. However, the participants are not aware of the decline in fertility caused by aging. More effort should be directed toward spreading awareness regarding age-related fertility decline among health profession students and the general population.
