[Gender violence: Knowledge and attitudes of nurses in Primary Care]

To determine the knowledge and attitudes of nurses in Primary Care as regards gender violence and their relationship with socio-demographic factors and cases detected.

Cross-sectional, descriptive study.

Urban health centres.

A total of 167 nurses working in Primary Care.

A questionnaire was used that included questions related to knowledge, knowledge perception and attitudes to gender violence attitudes. Variables such as age, gender, marital status, work place and health area were also analysed.

The response rate was 114 (68.26%). The percentage of correct responses in the knowledge questions was 62.2%, with a medium level of knowledge being observed. Married nurses or couples living in a stable relationship obtained a higher score (95.2%, P=.077). The low detection (29%) is associated with marital status (P=.004), low knowledge (P=0,008), low knowledge perception (P=.001), lack of training (P=.03) and non-implementation of the gender violence protocol (P=.001). Nurses with low self-perception of their knowledge implement the protocol less often (OR=0.26; 95% CI: 0.1-0.7), and they consider that the lack of training is the main problem in determining the diagnosis (OR=11.24; 95% CI: 1.5-81.1).

The level of knowledge was adequate. Nurses have a lack of confidence in terms of their knowledge about gender violence. The detection and diagnosis attitudes are more related to self-perception of levels of knowledge than their real knowledge. Marital status influences the level of knowledge. Professionals state that the lack of training is the main problem to give an efficient healthcare response.