Citation

Descallar J, Muscatello D, Weatherburn D, Chu M, Moffatt S. Addiction 2012; 107(3): 549-556.

Affiliation

Centre for Epidemiology and Research, New South Wales Department of Health, 73 Miller Street, North Sydney, NSW, 2060, Australia New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, Level 8, St James Centre, 111 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia Canterbury Hospital, Canterbury Road, Campsie, NSW, 2194, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1360-0443.2011.03623.x

PMID

21851444

Abstract

Aim:  To assess the short-term temporal relationship between emergency department (ED) attendances for acute alcohol problems and assaults reported to police. Design:  Cross-sectional time series analysis. Setting:  Population of New South Wales (NSW), Australia between 2003 and 2008. Participants:  All patients who attended any of 56 large NSW public hospital EDs and had a recorded diagnosis of acute alcohol problems, and all persons involved in assault incidents reported to the NSW Police Force. Measurements:  Weekly count time series were formed for ED attendances, assault incidents and persons of interest in assault incidents. Cross correlation analysis was used to determine any time lag in the relationship between the alcohol and the assault series. Poisson regression was used to assess the magnitude of the relationship. Splines of week controlled for seasonality. Findings:  There was no time lag found between the ED and police series. A weekly increase of 100 attendances in persons 15 years and above to EDs for alcohol problems was associated with an 11% (95% confidence interval (CI) 7%-15%) increase in the number of incident assaults attended by police. The relationship was similar and statistically significant for domestic and non-domestic assaults and urban areas. The association was stronger between ED attendances and persons of interest aged 15-24 year-olds (23%, 95% CI 17%-29%), 15-24 year-old males (39%, 95% CI: 16%-66%) and 15-24 year-old females (66%, 95% CI: 20%-129%). Conclusions:  There is a clear, short-term temporal association between independent population level markers of excessive alcohol use and violence.

Language: en