Intentional injury and violence in Cape Town, South Africa: an epidemiological analysis of trauma admissions data
Schuurman N, Cinnamon J, Walker B, Fawcett V, Nicol A, Hameed SM, Matzopoulos R (2015)
Publication Type: Journal article, Original article
Subtype: other
Publication year: 2015
Journal
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Book Volume: 8
Article Number: 27016
Journal Issue: 1
DOI: 10.3402/gha.v8.27016
Abstract
Background
Injury is a truly global health issue that has enormous societal and economic consequences in all countries. Interpersonal violence is now widely recognized as important global public health issues that can be addressed through evidence-based interventions. In South Africa, as in many low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), a lack of ongoing, systematic injury surveillance has limited the ability to characterize the burden of violence-related injury and to develop prevention programmes.
Objective
To describe the profile of trauma presenting to the trauma centre of Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa - relating to interpersonal violence, using data collected from a newly implemented surveillance system. Particular emphasis was placed on temporal aspects of injury epidemiology, as well as age and sex differentiation.
Design
Data were collected prospectively using a standardized trauma admissions form for all patients presenting to the trauma centre. An epidemiological analysis was conducted on 16 months of data collected from June 2010 to October 2011.
Results
A total of 8445 patients were included in the analysis, in which the majority were violence-related. Specifically, 35% of records included violent trauma and, of those, 75% of victims were male. There was a clear temporal pattern: a greater proportion of intentional injuries occur during the night, while unintentional injury peaks late in the afternoon. In total, two-third of all intentional trauma is inflicted on the weekends, as is 60% of unintentional trauma. Where alcohol was recorded in the record, 72% of cases involved intentional injury. Sex was again a key factor as over 80% of all records involving alcohol or substance abuse were associated with males. The findings highlighted the association between violence, young males, substance use, and weekends.
Conclusions
This study provides the basis for evidence-based interventions to reduce the burden of intentional injury. Furthermore, it demonstrates the value of locally appropriate, ongoing, systematic public health surveillance in LMIC.
Authors with CRIS profile
Involved external institutions
University of Cape Town (UCT)
South Africa (ZA)
University of Exeter
United Kingdom (GB)
Simon Fraser University
Canada (CA)
Groote Schuur Hospital
South Africa (ZA)
University of Virginia (UVA)
United States (USA) (US)
University of British Columbia
Canada (CA)
South Africa (ZA)
University of Exeter
United Kingdom (GB)
Simon Fraser University
Canada (CA)
Groote Schuur Hospital
South Africa (ZA)
University of Virginia (UVA)
United States (USA) (US)
University of British Columbia
Canada (CA)
How to cite
APA:
Schuurman, N., Cinnamon, J., Walker, B., Fawcett, V., Nicol, A., Hameed, S.M., & Matzopoulos, R. (2015). Intentional injury and violence in Cape Town, South Africa: an epidemiological analysis of trauma admissions data. Global Health Action, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.3402/gha.v8.27016
MLA:
Schuurman, Nadine, et al. "Intentional injury and violence in Cape Town, South Africa: an epidemiological analysis of trauma admissions data." Global Health Action 8.1 (2015).
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