Comparing the Demographic Characteristics of Victims of Sexual Assault in Rural Versus Urban Areas.
Elizabeth Salt, Isabella Erickson, Amanda T Wiggins and 4 others
PMID 38165739WHAT IT FOUND
Sexual violence/abuse encounters at one center were concentrated in younger rural patients, especially in the youngest pediatric age groups and among male pediatric encounters, while urban encounters included more adults and more Black and Hispanic patients.
Key findings
01Rural sexual violence/abuse encounters involved younger patients and more male patients than urban encounters.
02Rural pediatric rates were higher than urban rates for the youngest pediatric age groups, and rural encounters were more often inpatient and coded as suspected or confirmed child sexual abuse.
03Adult sexual violence/abuse rates were lower in rural areas than urban areas, including for Black, Hispanic, and White adults.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The data came from one health care center, so they may not represent other rural or urban areas. Cases were found by billing codes, so providers may have coded sexual violence or abuse encounters differently or documentation may have been inaccurate. The center is in a city with a large public university, which could affect the age distribution of urban patients. Kentucky rural counties have low Black and Hispanic population, so race and ethnicity comparisons may be shaped by local census composition. The study describes associations and rates, not causes, and did not test any treatment or prevention program. The pre- and post-SARS-CoV-2 comparison used total encounters as the denominator, so it may not capture changes in reporting or access.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these findings as proof of true sexual abuse prevalence or as evidence that a specific rural program works. They describe encounters billed with sexual violence or abuse codes at one center, and coding or documentation may have missed cases.