title: Assault Injury and Homicide Death Profile in Rhode Island, 2004-2014.
abstract: Community violence, including assault and homicide, is a public health problem. We provide a profile of assault-related injury and homicide death in Rhode Island to better understand assault/homicide. The 2014 emergency department (ED) visit data, hospital discharge (HD) data, and 2004-2014 Rhode Island Violent Death Reporting System (RIVDRS) data were used for this study. Most assault injuries and homicide deaths were among persons who were 25-44 years old, male, black and Hispanic, living in urban regions, self-pay or public insurance user, and never married. Almost 63% of the homicide decedents tested positive for some illicit substance. Precipitating circumstances include a preceding argument or a conflict, another crime, intimate partner violence, and drug involvement. RIVDRS did not provide an estimate for mental illness related homicides (e.g. command hallucinations). ED, HD, and RIVDRS data can provide a profile of assault injury and homicide death for public health authorities in RI. Interventions need to focus on high-risk populations and areas to effectively prevent assault-related injury and homicide. [Full article available at http://rimed.org/rimedicaljournal-2017-04.asp].
authors.affiliation: RIVDRS Epidemiologist, Rhode Island Department of Health, and an Assistant Professor of the Practice of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Brown University.
authors.forename: Yongwen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: physician, Rhode Island Hospital; Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Alpert Medical School and School of Public Health, Brown University and Associate Professor of Health Services, Policy and Practice.
authors.forename: Megan L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ranney
authors.affiliation: Director of Public Policy and Advocacy at the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence.
authors.forename: Jordan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seaberry
authors.affiliation: Director of Victim Services at the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence.
authors.forename: Lynne-Marie
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Shea
authors.affiliation: Chief of Police at Lincoln Police Department and the President of the Rhode Island Police Chiefs' Association in 2015.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.affiliation: Chief of the Center for Health Data and Analysis at the Rhode Island Department of Health and the Principle Investigator and Program Manager of RIVDRS.
authors.forename: Samara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Viner-Brown
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D002423:Cause of Death; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006708:Homicide / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D019221:Mandatory Reporting; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012237:Rhode Island / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014754:Violence / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D035862:Vulnerable Populations; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality*
keywords: Rhode Island Violent Death Reporting System (RIVDRS); assault; emergency department visit data; homicide; hospital discharge data