title: Violence-related injury and gender: the role of alcohol and alcohol combined with illicit drugs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The positive relationship between alcohol use, gender and violence-related injury is well established. However, less is known about injuries when alcohol is used in combination with other drugs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-report information was collected on alcohol and illicit drug use in the 6 h before a violence-related injury in probability samples of patients presenting to emergency departments (n=9686).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with violence-related injuries reported the highest rates of alcohol use (49% of men; 23% of women) and alcohol use combined with illicit drugs (8% of men; 4% of women) whereas non-violent injury patients reported lower rates of alcohol use (17% of men; 8% of women) and alcohol use combined with drugs (2% for men; 1% for women). Marijuana/hashish was the most commonly reported drug. The odds of a violent injury were increased when alcohol was used [men: odds ratio (OR)=5.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.6-6.3; women: OR=4.0, 95% CI 3.0-5.5] or when alcohol was combined with illicit drug use before the injury (men: OR=6.6, 95% CI 4.7-9.3; women: OR=5.7, 95% CI=2.7-12.2) compared with non-users. No significant change in the odds of a violent injury was observed for men or women when alcohol users were compared with alcohol and drug users.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The positive association between alcohol and violent injury does not appear to be altered by the added use of drugs. Additional work is needed to understand the interpersonal, contextual and cultural factors related to substance use to identify best prevention practices and develop appropriate policies.
authors.affiliation: Alcohol Research Group, Public Health Institute, Emeryville, USA.
authors.forename: Rachael A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Korcha
authors.forename: Cheryl J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Cherpitel
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Witbrodt
authors.forename: Guilherme
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: Shahrzad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hejazi-Bazargan
authors.forename: Jason C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Bond
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gmel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D055030:Drug Users / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D057566:Self Report; D012737:Sex Factors; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs
keywords: alcohol and illicit drug use; emergency department; gender differences; violence-related injury