Neighborhood deprivation is a risk factor for severe child physical abuse: A multicenter cohort investigation.

Abstract

Background: Our purpose was to investigate whether neighborhood deprivation is associated with outcomes in a multicenter population of children with suspected or confirmed child physical abuse. We hypothesized that community level social determinants of health are associated with worse outcomes following child physical abuse.

Methods: This multicenter retrospective review included children (18 years or younger) admitted with suspected or confirmed physical abuse at six pediatric trauma centers. A national Area Deprivation Index (ADI) score was assigned to each patient based on home address. Area Deprivation Index was divided into quartiles using the distribution of our dataset. Exclusion of a caregiver at discharge was used as a proxy for confirmed physical abuse. Descriptive statistics and stepwise logistic regression were used to identify covariates. Multiple logistic regression was used to test for associations between ADI and caregiver exclusion.

Results: Of 1,105 included patients, 512 had confirmed abuse. These patients were younger (median [interquartile range], 0.50 [1.50] vs. 0.83 [1.67]; p = 0.002), more likely to be Black or African American (28.3% vs. 19.5%, p < 0.001), and had higher ADI scores (81.0 [35.0] vs. 66.0 [60.0], p < 0.001). A dose-dependent relationship between ADI and caregiver exclusion was identified. Compared with those from the least vulnerable neighborhoods (ADI first quartile), patients from the most vulnerable neighborhoods (ADI fourth quartile) had 2.65 (95% confidence interval, 1.73-4.08; p < 0.001) times higher odds of confirmed abuse. Despite no differences in Injury Severity Scores (8.0 [6.0] vs. 9.0 [10.0], p = 0.163), they also had longer lengths of hospital stay (1.0 [2.0] vs. 3.0 [2.8], p = 0.002) and higher mortality (1.5% vs. 5.0%, p = 0.028).

Conclusion: This large multicenter experience demonstrates a dose-dependent relationship between socioeconomic disadvantage and child physical abuse. We further demonstrate that disadvantage is associated with worse outcomes, including increased mortality, in child physical abuse. These findings provide objective data and lead to suggestions for interdisciplinary and multiscale approaches to primary prevention of child physical abuse.

Level of evidence: Prognostic and Epidemiological; Level III.