Investigation of health workers attitudes of towards violence against women and knowledge levels to recognize violence

The study was conducted to examine the attitudes of healthcare professionals towards violence against women and their level of knowledge on recognizing violence. The descriptive study was conducted between October 2022 and March 2023 with the participation of 191 healthcare professionals in the emergency departments of Kastamonu central and 13 district public hospitals. No sample selection was made, and the entire universe was included in the study within the specified date range. In collecting data, a questionnaire questioning sociodemographic data and exposure to violence, the Attitude Scale towards Violence Against Women and the Scale for Nurses and Midwives to Recognize the Symptoms of Violence Against Women were used. Data were analyzed using SPPS 27.0 program, frequency tables, descriptive statistics, Mann Whitney U test, Kruskal Wallis H test, Spearman Correlation test and Bonferroni correction were used. The total score average of the health workers' attitude scale towards violence was determined as 33,69±11,12, and accordingly, it was determined that they adopted a modern and untraditional view towards violence. The total scale score average for healthcare professionals to recognize the signs of violence against women was 19,31±3,74, and their knowledge level was found to be partially sufficient. Study findings showed that age, gender, marital status, profession and working year of healthcare professionals are important factors on their ability to recognize signs of violence against women and their attitudes towards violence (p<0,05). It was determined that 63,4% of the participants were women and 58,7% were exposed to violence. It was determined that 88% of the participants encountered violence against women in the clinic, and 49,3% did not know that there was a procedure regarding violence against women in the institution where they worked. While 48,7% of healthcare professionals stated that they did not receive training on violence against women during their education, this rate was reported to be 59,7% after graduation. In this context, it is recommended to increase the training of healthcare professionals to recognize violence against women during their education and working periods.