Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37004185›Full record

ArticleThe Medical journal of Australia2023

Child maltreatment and health service use: findings of the Australian Child Maltreatment Study.

Rosana Pacella, Alexandra Nation, Ben Mathews, James G Scott, Daryl J Higgins, Divna M Haslam, Michael P Dunne, David Finkelhor, Franziska Meinck, Holly E Erskine and 4 more

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Medical journal of Australia, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
7.5field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 24 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  6. Review
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  11. A new era in child maltreatment prevention: call to action.The Medical journal of Australia · 2023
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors at 8 institutions in 5 countries.

Rosana PacellaInstitute for Lifecourse Development, University of Greenwich, London, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-9742-1957
Alexandra NationInstitute for Lifecourse Development, University of Greenwich, London, United Kingdom.
Ben MathewsQueensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD.ORCID 0000-0003-0421-0016
James G ScottChild Health Research Centre, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD.ORCID 0000-0002-0744-0688
Daryl J HigginsInstitute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC.ORCID 0000-0003-0268-8243
Divna M HaslamQueensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD.ORCID 0000-0002-5354-8710
Michael P DunneQueensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD.
David FinkelhorCrimes against Children Research Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States of America.
Franziska MeinckUniversity of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Holly E ErskineThe University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD.
Hannah J ThomasQIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD.ORCID 0000-0001-7897-7821
Eva MalacovaQIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD.
David M LawrenceCurtin University, Perth, WA.ORCID 0000-0003-4700-1425
Claire MonksInstitute for Lifecourse Development, University of Greenwich, London, United Kingdom.
University of Greenwich · GBQIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute · AUQueensland University of Technology · AUThe University of Queensland · AUAustralian Catholic University · AUJohns Hopkins University · USNorth-West University · ZAUniversity of New Hampshire · US

Funding

Australian Department of the Prime Minister and CabinetAustralian Department of Social ServicesAustralian Institute of CriminologyAustralian GovernmentNational Health and Medical Research Council APP1158750
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo examine associations between child maltreatment and health service use, both overall, by type and by the number of types of maltreatment reported. DESIGN,

settingCross-sectional, retrospective survey using the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire-R2: Adapted Version (Australian Child Maltreatment Study); computer-assisted mobile telephone interviews using random digit dialling, Australia, 9 April - 11 October 2021.

participantsAustralians aged 16 years or more. The target sample size was 8500 respondents: 3500 people aged 16-24 years and 1000 respondents each from the five age groups (25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65 years or more).

main outcome measuresSelf-reported health service use during the past twelve months: hospital admissions, length of stay, and reasons for admission; and numbers of consultations with health care professionals, overall and by type. Associations between maltreatment and health service use are reported as odds ratios adjusted for age group, gender, socio-economic status, financial hardship (childhood and current), and geographic remoteness.

resultsA total of 8503 participants completed the survey. Respondents who had experienced child maltreatment were significantly more likely than those who had not to report a hospital admission during the preceding twelve months (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16-1.66), particularly admission with a mental disorder (aOR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.03-5.6). The likelihood of six or more visits to general practitioners (aOR, 2.37; 95% CI, 1.87-3.02) or of a consultation with a mental health nurse (aOR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.75-4.06), psychologist (aOR, 2.40; 95% CI, 2.00-2.88), or psychiatrist (aOR, 3.02; 95% CI, 2.25-4.04) were each higher for people who reported maltreatment during childhood. People who reported three or more maltreatment types were generally most likely to report greater health service use.

conclusionsChild maltreatment has a major impact on health service use. Early, targeted interventions are vital, not only for supporting children directly, but also for their longer term wellbeing and reducing their health system use throughout life.

Indexed as

Child AbuseAustraliaChildCross-Sectional StudiesHumansPatient Acceptance of Health CareRetrospective StudiesSurveys and QuestionnairesChild welfareCommunity health servicesCost of illnessHealth services

Identifiers

PMID37004185
PMCPMC10952869
OpenAlexW4362508539

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.