Electronic versions

DOI

  • Mark A Bellis
    Liverpool John Moores University
  • Karen Hughes
    Liverpool John Moores University
  • Sara Wood
    Liverpool John Moores University
  • Sacha Wyke
    Liverpool John Moores University
  • Clare Perkins
    Liverpool John Moores University

OBJECTIVES: To examine relationships between violence, age (0-74 years), and deprivation, and to explore in which communities, age groups, and gender the potential for transmission of violent tendencies between individuals is greatest.

METHODS: Five year (2004/2005 to 2008/2009) ecological study of emergency admissions resulting from violence (n=170074) into all English hospitals using trend and logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS: Hospital admissions for violence peak as individuals achieve legal adulthood (18 years). Risks of admission increase exponentially with increasing quintile of deprivation of residence, with odds overall being 5.5 times higher in the poorest quintile compared with the richest. The greatest absolute difference in violence admissions by deprivation quintile is seen in males aged 18 (218/100 000, richest; 698/100 000, poorest). However, the highest deprivation rate ratios (quintile 5:1) are seen at ages 0-10 years in both sexes and at all ages after 40 years in males (40-58 years, females). In males aged 17-19 years, violence accounts for 20% of the entire gap between wealthiest and poorest quintiles in all cause emergency hospital admissions.

CONCLUSIONS: Analyses identify four lifetime periods for violence: up to 10 years (prepubescent), 11-20 years (adolescence), 21-45 years (younger adults), and over 45 years (older adults). While violence is most common in adolescence, its concentration in poorer areas during prepubescence and in younger adulthood (parenting age) suggests that poorer children are exposed to much more aggressive communities. This is likely to contribute to the disproportionate escalation in violence they experience during adolescence. Effective interventions to prevent such escalations are available and need to be implemented particularly in poor communities.

Keywords

  • Adolescent, Adult, Age Distribution, Aged, Child, Child, Preschool, Emergency Medical Services, England, Female, Hospitalization, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Logistic Models, Male, Middle Aged, Poverty Areas, Risk Factors, Violence, Wounds and Injuries, Young Adult, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)319-25
Number of pages7
JournalInjury Prevention
Volume17
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2011
Externally publishedYes
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