Experiences of violence and abuse among internally displaced adolescent girls following a natural disaster.
Elizabeth Sloand, Cheryl Killion, Hossein Yarandi and 6 others
PMID 28398661WHAT IT FOUND
Displaced adolescent girls reported high abuse rates before and after the earthquake, with no significant increase overall.
However, higher victimization scores linked to increased odds of post-earthquake sexual abuse and PTSD symptoms. Massive non-response to abuse questions limits certainty.
Key findings
01There was no significant increase in the prevalence of physical or emotional abuse among these displaced girls when comparing the pre- and post-earthquake periods.
02Higher scores on victimization measures were associated with significantly increased odds of being sexually abused post-earthquake and experiencing PTSD symptoms.
03A majority of participants did not answer questions about experiencing abuse or self-harm, which severely limits the ability to draw firm conclusions.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample size was very small (78 girls). There was a massive amount of missing data, with 60% of girls not answering abuse questions and 79% not answering self-harm questions. The authors suggest the computer-based interview method may have been unfamiliar or uncomfortable for this population, potentially contributing to the non-response. The study design was correlational and cross-sectional in nature regarding the 'post' data, limiting causal inference about the earthquake's specific impact on abuse rates.
Declared interests
No conflict of interest declared by the authors.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the earthquake caused a significant rise in abuse rates based on the overall prevalence numbers, as the study found no statistically significant increase. The significant findings relate to the association between victimization scores and odds of abuse/PTSD, not a simple pre/post count. Furthermore, the extremely high non-response rate means the true prevalence is unknown.