Impact of neighborhood disadvantage on posttrauma outcomes after sexual assault

Abstract

AbstractIn the United States, 8,000,000 people seek emergency care for traumatic injury annually. Motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) and sexual assault are two common sources of trauma, with evidence that reduced neighborhood‐level socioeconomic characteristics increase posttraumatic pain and stress after an MVC. We evaluated whether neighborhood disadvantage was also associated with physical and mental posttrauma outcomes after sexual assault in a sample of adult women (N = 656) who presented for emergency care at facilities in the United States following sexual assault and were followed for 1 year. Neighborhood characteristics were assessed via the Area Deprivation Index, and self‐reported pain, anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were collected at 6 weeks posttrauma. Adjusted log‐binomial regression models examined the association between each clinical outcome and neighborhood disadvantage. Women in more disadvantaged neighborhoods were more likely to be non‐White and have lower annual incomes. At 6 weeks posttrauma, the prevalence of clinically significant pain, anxiety, and depressive symptoms more than doubled from baseline (41.7% vs. 18.8%, 62.4% vs. 23.9%, and 55.2% vs. 22.7%, respectively); 40.7% of women also reported PTSD symptoms. Black, Hispanic, and lower‐income participants were more likely to report pre‐ and postassault pain, anxiety, and depression. After adjusting for race, ethnicity, and income, no significant association existed between neighborhood disadvantage and any outcome, ps = .197 ‐ .859. Although neighborhood disadvantage was not associated with posttrauma outcomes, these findings highlight the need for continued research in diverse populations at high risk of adverse physical and mental health symptoms following sexual assault.