RISK FACTORS FOR MORTALITY AMONG VICTIMS OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE IN FOUR LOW TO MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES kathryn_chu@yahoo.com

PW07-06

RISK FACTORS FOR MORTALITY AMONG VICTIMS OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE IN FOUR LOW TO MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES

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South Africa

Oral only

Interpersonal violence (IPV) is a major cause of trauma-related injuries that causes significant mortality and morbidity in LMICs. The relative contribution of IPV to hospitalisations due to injury and its impact on mortality are not well described.

Data were collected prospectively from admitted injured patients from rural and urban hospitals across Ghana, Pakistan, Rwanda, and South Africa. Data sources included medical records and patient/guardian interviews that were captured in REDCap. Descriptive statistics and multivariable regression were used to assess the risk factors for mortality among IPV injuries.

From February 2023 to July 2024, 8557 injured patients were enrolled. IPV injuries were n=1556 (17.7%): 6.9% in Ghana, 10.2% in Pakistan, 8.2% in Rwanda and 47.6% in South Africa. Of the IPV injuries, the most common injury type was visceral, and mechanism was sharp instrument. 484 (35.4%) patients were moderately to severely injured based on Kampala score and n=1166 (75.5%) had an operation. In-hospital mortality was n=114 (7.3%). On multivariable analysis, South Africa (OR=3.95, p < 0.001), urban hospital (OR=23.2, p < 0.001), severe injury (OR=6.91, p = < 0.001), and neuro-surgical injury (OR=3.06, p =0.003), were associated with increased in hospital mortality.

IPV is an important cause of injury and South Africa had higher rates of IPV compared to other countries in the study. Understanding the association with injury-related mortality offers critical insight for shaping violence prevention strategies. These findings may support targeted interventions to reduce IPV relate death and highlight the need to improve access to timely injury care.