Table 2

Univariate models of relative risks (RR) of verbal abuse reported by home care aides in the past 12 months, by work-organisational and client-related characteristics, Safe Home Care Survey, Massachusetts, USA

	Number of aides (n=954)	Verbal abuse in past 12 months*
	Number of aides (n=954)	Number reporting verbal abuse	RR	95% CI
Work-organisational characteristics
Hire type
Client	330	59	0.76	0.58 to 1.00
Agency†	624	147
Predictable hours
Yes	614	113	0.65	0.51 to 0.83
No†	318	90
Missing	22	3
Job is stable
Yes	637	141	0.97	0.73 to 1.28
No†	228	52
Missing	89	13
Did not have the time I needed
Yes‡	100	33	1.60	1.17 to 2.18
No†	828	171
Missing	26	2
Use any client handling/transfer device
Yes	403	102	1.36	1.06 to 1.75
No†	489	91
Missing	62	13
Safety measures
Aide is provided with gloves and knows where to report blood exposures	762	170	0.79	0.53 to 1.16
Aide lacks one or both of the above†	74	21
Missing	118	15
Did not have a clear care plan
Yes‡	117	39	1.62	1.21 to 2.17
No†	794	163
Missing	43	4

Client characteristics
Language discordance
Yes§	184	45	1.16	0.87 to 1.55
No†	766	161
Missing	4	0
Dementia
Yes§	355	106	1.65	1.29 to 2.10
No†	513	93
Missing	86	7
Mental illness/psychological issues
Yes§	304	91	1.58	1.24 to 2.01
No†	576	109
Missing	74	6
Limited mobility
Yes§	709	173	1.73	1.21 to 2.47
No†	213	30
Missing	32	3
Client smokes indoors
Yes§	238	63	1.29	1.00 to 1.67
No†	688	141
Missing	28	2
Too little space made it hard to work
Yes§	219	76	1.92	1.51 to 2.44
No†	708	128
Missing	27	2

*Defined as at least one incident of verbal abuse in the past year.
†Referent.
‡Aides who reported this working condition during at least one recent client visit within the past month.
§Aides who reported at least one recent visit to a client with this characteristic within the past month.