Assault-related admissions to hospital in Central Australia.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the number of assault-related admissions to hospital in the Central Australia region of the Northern Territory over a six-year period.


METHODS
Retrospective analysis of all patients admitted to Alice Springs Hospital (ASH) and Tennant Creek Hospital (TCH) from July 1995 to June 2001, where the primary cause of injury was "assault".


METHODS
Frequency of assault-related admission to hospital; demographic characteristics of the victims.


RESULTS
In the six years, there were 2449 assault-related admissions to ASH and 545 to TCH. Adults aged 25-34 years were most frequently hospitalised for assault, in a proportion greater than their proportion in the NT population. Females represented 59.7% of people admitted to ASH and 54.7% to TCH, greater than their proportion in the NT population. Aboriginals comprised 95.2% of ASH and 89.0% of TCH admissions, and were admitted in a significantly greater proportion than their proportion in the NT population (P < 0.001). The age-adjusted hospital admission rate resulting from assault has increased (P = 0.002) at an average rate of 1.6 (SE, 0.2) per 10 000 people per year. The proportion of assault-related admissions associated with alcohol has also increased significantly (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The frequency of assault-related admissions to hospital, especially among the Aboriginal population, suggests that this major public health issue is escalating.
Williams
Ged F
GF
NT Department of Health and Community Services, Alice Springs Hospital, NT 0871, Australia. ged.williams@nt.gov.au
Chaboyer
Wendy P
WP
Schluter
Philip J
PJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015876:Northern Territory / Q000453:epidemiology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D000095283:Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples