Author/Authors :
Taher, Hamoud S Ministry of Health - Mishref Primary Health Center, Kuwait , Hayat, Abrar S Ministry of Health - Dasma Primary Health Center, Kuwait , Hussain, Mohamed Y Ministry of Health - Amiri Hospital - Rheumatology unit, Kuwait , Ghayath, Thuraya AA Ministry of Health - Al-Ahmadi Health Region, East Sabahiya Clinic, Kuwait , Kamel, Mohamed I Alexandria University - Faculty of Medicine - Community Medicine Department, Egypt , Kamel, Mohamed I Ministry of Health - Department of Occupational Medicine, Kuwait , El-Shazly, Medhat K Alexandria University - Medical Research Institute - Department of Medical Statistics, Egypt , El-Shazly, Medhat K Ministry of Health - Department of Health Information and Medical record, Kuwait
Abstract :
Background: Domestic violence against women is an important public health problem. Battered women attend primary health care centers seeking for both medical treatment and support. Nurses with a positive attitude play a key role to deal with victimized women. Objectives: The current study was formulated to reveal attitude of nurses towards domestic violence against women and factors affecting this attitude. Methods: All 1617 nurses registered in primary health care centers in Kuwait were the target population for this study. A total of 988 nurses were interviewed with an overall response rate of 61.1%. Results: The results of the current study revealed that nurses tended to have a relatively low positive overall attitude score towards violence against women (58.3 + 13.82%), with a mean percent score of 42.9 + 15.99% for relationship between partners domain, 69.7 + 21.03% for good reasons to hit wives domain, and 58.7 + 20.59% for management of domestic violence domain. Female Kuwaiti nurses tended to have higher positive attitude score than male non-Kuwaiti nurses. Years spent at the current job negatively correlated with the total attitude score of nurses towards domestic violence against women. Conclusion: Training nurses about domestic violence, especially against women can improve their attitude and hence a better medical care and support of battered women.
Keywords :
Domestic Violence , Women , Nurses , Attitude
