[Social vulnerability is more frequent in victims of interpersonal violence: value of the EPICES score].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate social vulnerability of victims of interpersonal violence having consulted a service of forensic medicine with an individual index of social vulnerability.


METHODS
The population of victims of interpersonal violence was composed of 275 subjects having consulted the service of forensic medicine of the CHU of Saint Etienne. The social data were collected by questionnaire. Social vulnerability was measured by an individual index (EPICES) calculated on the basis of 11 weighted questions related to material and social deprivation. This population was compared with a reference population; the reference population was people, aged more than 16, living in the Rhône-Alpes region and examined in 2005 in one of the Health examination Centres (HECs) of the French General Health Insurance System, that is 7553 men and 6002 women. The comparisons between the two populations were made after redressing the population of the HECs on various socio-demographic data of the Rhône-Alpes region. The relations between violence and the variables studied were measured by odds ratios adjusted on age and sex.


RESULTS
The population of the victims of violence is younger than the reference population (p<0.001). It is characterized by a lower level of education (p<0.001, 15% in the higher education level vs 23%) and the categories Employees and Manual workers are more frequent (p<0.001). The situation with respect to employment is also different between the two populations, unemployment rate is higher (OR=2.25) and the retired are fewer (OR=0.41). Subjects in social vulnerability are more frequent in the victims (57% vs 36%). All these differences persist after adjustment on age and sex. The context in which the aggression took place (family, public area or at work) varies significantly according to social vulnerability. On the other hand, the majority of the other medico-legal characteristics are not different according to the level of social vulnerability.


CONCLUSIONS
The population of the victims of interpersonal violence has a socio-economic profile different from the reference population. Social vulnerability is associated with interpersonal violence, in particular with violence in the public and family area.
Sass
Catherine
C
Programme Précarité-Inégalités de santé, Cetaf, Centre Technique d'Appui et de Formation des Centres d'Examens de Santé de l'Assurance Maladie, F-42012 Saint-Etienne Cedex 02, France. Catherine.sass@cetaf.cnamts.fr
Belin
Sébastien
S
Chatain
Carine
C
Moulin
Jean-Jacques
JJ
Debout
Michel
M
Duband
Sébastien
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000379:methods; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult