Abstract
Background
Violent injuries are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among youths. Little
is known about adolescents’ patterns of and risk factors for repeat assault injuries,
yet understanding who is at risk for repeated assaults is important for intervention
and prevention efforts. Investigating these questions in population-based adolescent
samples is particularly critical.
Objective
Our aim was to estimate the 5-year cumulative incidence of and risk factors for repeat
emergency department (ED) visits for assault injury among adolescents experiencing
an index assault visit, and compare the method of injury for adolescents’ first and
second visits.
Methods
Statewide, longitudinal data from California were used to follow 17,845 adolescents
who reported to an ED with assault-related injuries in 2010. Incidence rate ratios
were estimated to examine risk factors for repeat assault injury within 1 year and
5 years following the index visit.
Results
A total of 3273 (18.3%) assaulted adolescents experienced one or more additional assault
injury ED visits during the full follow-up period. Only 37.3% of these repeat assaults
occurred within the first year following the index assault. Of adolescents with a
repeat assault injury, the method of injury often changed and followed no clear pattern.
Sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., older age, black race) and history of prior
ED visits for assault and mental health problems predicted increased risk of repeat
assault.
Conclusions
Previous work may underestimate the rate of repeated assault among adolescents. Adolescents
with a history of violence involvement and mental health problems are at elevated
risk for repeated assault, and should be targeted for intervention.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: June 29, 2019
Accepted:
May 6,
2019
Received in revised form:
April 18,
2019
Received:
February 9,
2019
Identification
Copyright
© 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
