@article{ref1,
title="Confidential screening for sex trafficking among minors in a pediatric emergency department",
journal="Pediatrics",
year="2021",
author="Hurst, Irene A. and Abdoo, Denise C. and Harpin, Scott and Leonard, Jan and Adelgais, Kathleen",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="OBJECTIVES: Child sex trafficking is a global health problem, with a prevalence of 4% to 11% among high-risk adolescents. The objective of this study was to confidentially administer a validated screening tool in a pediatric emergency department by using an electronic tablet to identify minors at risk for sex trafficking. Our hypothesis was that this modality of administration would adequately identify high-risk patients. <br><br>METHODS: English- and Spanish-speaking patients from the ages of 12 to 17 years presenting to a large urban pediatric emergency department with high-risk chief complaints were enrolled in a prospective cohort over 13 months. Subjects completed a previously validated 6-item screening tool on an electronic tablet. The screening tool's sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were calculated. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify additional risk factors. <br><br>RESULTS: A total of 212 subjects were enrolled (72.6% female; median age: 15 years; interquartile range 13-16), of which 26 patients were subjected to child sex trafficking (prevalence: 12.3%). The sensitivity and specificity of the electronic screening tool were 84.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 70.8%-98.5%) and 53.2% (95% CI 46.1%-60.4%), respectively. The positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 20.2% (95% CI 12.7%-27.7%) and 96.1% (95% CI 92.4%-99.9%), respectively. A previous suicide attempt and history of child abuse increased the odds of trafficking independent of those who screened positive but did not improve sensitivity of the tool. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: A confidentially administered, previously validated, electronic screening tool was used to accurately identify sex trafficking among minors, suggesting that this modality of screening may be useful in busy clinical environments.  Keywords: Human trafficking; <p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0031-4005",
doi="10.1542/peds.2020-013235",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-013235"
}