Dataset Information

Child maltreatment data in the state of New Mexico across space and time.

ABSTRACT: Child maltreatment is a serious public health problem. Previous research demonstrates that child maltreatment clusters in low-income, racially homogenous neighborhoods. Little is known, however, about the structural correlates of spatial risk in small areas such as census tracts. Here we present additional information regarding the data and methods used in the recent article published in Child Abuse & Neglect entitled "Variability and stability in child maltreatment risk across time and space and its association with neighborhood social & housing vulnerability in New Mexico: A Bayesian space-time model" [1]. The present dataset merges child maltreatment data from the New Mexico Department of Public Health with multiple sources of publicly available data to create a novel public health analysis. Bayesian spatio-temporal modeling techniques were used to map the relative risk of substantiated child maltreatment across census tracts in the state, and to elucidate spatial and temporal heterogeneity in risk. The data was initially collected by the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department, the state organization that suspected child abuse and neglect cases are reported to and the organization that then substantiates these cases. The data were then sent to the New Mexico Community Data Collaborative, a data analytic organization under the umbrella of the New Mexico Department of Health. The point file consisting of home addresses of substantiated cases of child abuse was then aggregated by census tract, mapped for the entire state of New Mexico and made available to the public for research and analysis by different public health organizations and researchers (including the present researchers). The very purpose of making the data available to the public was to allow deeper investigations into trends and associations with other social determinants of health. This analysis demonstrates the public health importance of data sharing and accessibility.

SUBMITTER: Barboza G

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7300143 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:ObjectivesTo examine associations between child maltreatment and health service use, both overall, by type and by the number of types of maltreatment reported.Design, settingCross-sectional, retrospective survey using the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire-R2: Adapted Version (Australian Child Maltreatment Study); computer-assisted mobile telephone interviews using random digit dialling, Australia, 9 April - 11 October 2021.ParticipantsAustralians aged 16 years or more. The target sample size was 8500 respondents: 3500 people aged 16-24 years and 1000 respondents each from the five age groups (25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65 years or more).Main outcome measuresSelf-reported health service use during the past twelve months: hospital admissions, length of stay, and reasons for admission; and numbers of consultations with health care professionals, overall and by type. Associations between maltreatment and health service use are reported as odds ratios adjusted for age group, gender, socio-economic status, financial hardship (childhood and current), and geographic remoteness.ResultsA total of 8503 participants completed the survey. Respondents who had experienced child maltreatment were significantly more likely than those who had not to report a hospital admission during the preceding twelve months (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16-1.66), particularly admission with a mental disorder (aOR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.03-5.6). The likelihood of six or more visits to general practitioners (aOR, 2.37; 95% CI, 1.87-3.02) or of a consultation with a mental health nurse (aOR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.75-4.06), psychologist (aOR, 2.40; 95% CI, 2.00-2.88), or psychiatrist (aOR, 3.02; 95% CI, 2.25-4.04) were each higher for people who reported maltreatment during childhood. People who reported three or more maltreatment types were generally most likely to report greater health service use.ConclusionsChild maltreatment has a major impact on health service use. Early, targeted interventions are vital, not only for supporting children directly, but also for their longer term wellbeing and reducing their health system use throughout life.

Project description:ObjectivesTo describe the aims, design, methodology, and respondent sample representativeness of the Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS).Design, settingCross-sectional, retrospective survey; computer-assisted mobile telephone interviewing using random digit dialling (computer-generated), Australia, 9 April - 11 October 2021.ParticipantsPeople aged 16 years or more. The target sample size was 8500 respondents: 3500 people aged 16-24 years and 1000 respondents each from five further age groups (25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65 years or more).Main outcome measuresPrimary outcomes: Emotional abuse, neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, exposure to domestic violence during childhood, assessed with the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire-R2 Adapted Version (Australian Child Maltreatment Study).Secondary outcomesselected mental disorder diagnoses (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, MINI), selected physical health conditions, health risk behaviours, health service use.ResultsThe demographic characteristics of the ACMS sample were similar to those of the Australian population in 2016 with respect to gender, Indigenous status, region and remoteness category of residence, and marital status, but larger proportions of participants were born in Australia, lived in areas of higher socio-economic status, had tertiary qualifications, and had income greater than $1250 per week. Population weights were derived to adjust for these differences. Associations between the number of calls required to recruit participants and maltreatment rates and health outcomes were not statistically significant.ConclusionsThe ACMS provides the first reliable estimates of the prevalence of each type of child maltreatment in Australia. These estimates, and those of associated mental health and health risk behaviours reported in this supplement can inform policy and practice initiatives for reducing the prevalence of child maltreatment and its consequences. Our benchmark study also provides baseline data for repeated waves of the ACMS that will assess the effectiveness of these initiatives.

Dataset Information

Child maltreatment data in the state of New Mexico across space and time.

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