Segregating Suspected Child Maltreatment from Non-Child Maltreatment Injuries: A Population-Based Case-Control Study in Taiwan

Yo-Ting Jin, Chin-Mi Chen, Yao-Ching Huang, Chi-Hsiang Chung, Chien-An Sun, Shi-Hao Huang, Wu-Chien Chien and Gwo-Jang Wu
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Yo-Ting Jin: Department of Nursing, Fu-Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 242062, Taiwan
Chin-Mi Chen: Department of Nursing, Fu-Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 242062, Taiwan
Yao-Ching Huang: Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, National Taipei University of Technology (Taipei Tech), Taipei 10608, Taiwan
Chi-Hsiang Chung: Department of Medical Research, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
Chien-An Sun: Big Data Research Center, College of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 242062, Taiwan
Shi-Hao Huang: Department of Medical Research, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
Wu-Chien Chien: Department of Medical Research, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
Gwo-Jang Wu: Department of Nursing, Fu-Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 242062, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 8, 1-11

Abstract: Objective: To identify the differential patient characteristics, injury types, and treatment outcomes between hospitalized child abuse and non-child abuse injuries in Taiwan. Methods: Using the data from the National Health Insurance Research Database, we selected a total of 1525 patients under the age of 18 that were diagnosed with child abuse, as well as an additional 6100 patients as a comparison group. Chi-square test, Fisher exact test, and independent samples t -test were used to compare the differences between the abused children and the non-abuse-related injured children. The multivariate conditional logistic regression was performed to measure the risk factor of child maltreatment in injured children. Results: Intracranial injury was more frequent in the child abuse group than it was in the non-child abuse group (35.0% vs. 8.2%; p < 0.001). Children in the child abuse group tended to stay longer in the hospital and incur higher medical expenses (8.91 days vs. 4.41 days and USD 2564 vs. USD 880, respectively). In multivariate analysis, the Adjusted Odds Ratio (Adjusted OR) of abuse resulting in an injury for children in low-income families is 1.965 times higher than those in non-low-income families ( p < 0.001). Children living in high urbanization areas had a significantly higher probability of being abused than those living in low urbanization areas ( p < 0.001). Conclusion: Children under the age of 1 who were hospitalized with severe intracranial injuries are highly at risk for child maltreatment. Moreover, numerous high-risk environmental factors were observed in child abuse cases, including living in urban areas, families with low income, and seasonality, as child maltreatment cases occur more frequently in autumn.

Keywords: child maltreatment; child abuse; injuries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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