[Differences in incidence of (violent) traumatic events in the national registration systems, population surveys and studies from family practice; a review of literature].
OBJECTIVE
Comparison of (cumulative) incidences of traumatic events from population surveys and registration systems as well as from studies in general practice.


METHODS
Literature study.


METHODS
Literature searches were done about the frequencies of accidents, sudden death, physical and sexual abuse listed in electronic databases and relevant catalogs covering 1986-1998, after which more references were searched via the references found, going back to 1984.


RESULTS
There were large discrepancies between frequencies found in the several studies, such as national registration systems (n = 4), surveys in the open population (n = 10) and studies in general practice (n = 4). The incidence (per 1000 persons per year) of physical abuse were 66, 2.7 and 1-3 for surveys in the open population, police and general practitioners' registration systems respectively. For sexual abuse the figures were 21, 0.025 and 0.2-2.9 respectively. Different definitions and methods were used in the studies.


CONCLUSIONS
General practitioners are aware of only a fraction of what their patients experience.
Mol
S S
SS
Universiteit Maastricht.
Dinant
G J
GJ
Metsemakers
J F
JF
Knottnerus
J A
JA
D000059:Accidents / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000209:etiology; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D015588:Observer Variation; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
Incidentieverschillen van (gewelddadige) ingrijpende gebeurtenissen in landelijke registratiesystemen, enquêtes in de bevolking en onderzoek onder huisartsen; een literatuuroverzicht.