Background: Child maltreatment is an important societal and public health problem. However, there are limited data on the epidemiology of maltreatment related hospitalizations.
Objective: The objective of this study was to describe maltreatment related hospitalizations among children ages 17 and younger in New York State (NYS).
Methods: Using 2011-2013 statewide planning and research cooperative system (SPARCS) inpatient hospital discharge data, maltreatment related hospitalizations among children ages 17 years and younger were identified using international classification of diseases, ninth revision, clinical modification codes for diagnoses and external cause of injury. Distributions of demographic and inpatient care characteristics were compared between hospitalizations for maltreatment and those for other causes, and between different types of maltreatment, using chi-square tests (for categorical variables) and t-tests (for continuous variables).
Results: During 2011-2013, a total of 853 maltreatment related hospitalizations among 836 children ages 17 years and younger were documented in NYS SPARCS. Infants (children < 1) had the highest rates of hospitalization. Overall, physical abuse was the most prevalent maltreatment type reported.
Conclusions: This is the first study in NYS to describe the epidemiology of child maltreatment hospitalizations; it establishes a statewide baseline for this public health and societal issue.
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