Citation

Jiang Y, Ranney ML, Seaberry J, Shea LM, Sullivan B, Viner-Brown S. R. I. Med. J. (2013) 2017; 100(4): 23-28.

Affiliation

Chief of the Center for Health Data and Analysis at the Rhode Island Department of Health and the Principle Investigator and Program Manager of RIVDRS.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Rhode Island Medical Society)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

28375416

Abstract

Community violence, including assault and homicide, is a public health problem. We provide a profile of assault-related injury and homicide death in Rhode Island to better understand assault/homicide. The 2014 emergency department (ED) visit data, hospital discharge (HD) data, and 2004-2014 Rhode Island Violent Death Reporting System (RIVDRS) data were used for this study. Most assault injuries and homicide deaths were among persons who were 25-44 years old, male, black and Hispanic, living in urban regions, self-pay or public insurance user, and never married. Almost 63% of the homicide decedents tested positive for some illicit substance. Precipitating circumstances include a preceding argument or a conflict, another crime, intimate partner violence, and drug involvement. RIVDRS did not provide an estimate for mental illness related homicides (e.g. command hallucinations). ED, HD, and RIVDRS data can provide a profile of assault injury and homicide death for public health authorities in RI. Interventions need to focus on high-risk populations and areas to effectively prevent assault-related injury and homicide. [Full article available at http://rimed.org/rimedicaljournal-2017-04.asp].

Language: en

Keywords

Rhode Island Violent Death Reporting System (RIVDRS); assault; emergency department visit data; homicide; hospital discharge data