Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 25, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
The economic burden of hospitalizations associated with child abuse and neglect
Sue Rovi1, Ping-Hsin Chen, Mark S Johnson
1Department of Family Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, 07103, USA. rovis@umdnj.edu
Insights
Child abuse hospitalizations incur significant economic costs, including longer stays, more diagnoses, and higher charges. Early identification of at-risk children can reduce these burdens.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Economics
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Child abuse and neglect represent a significant public health concern.
- Understanding the economic impact of child abuse is crucial for resource allocation and intervention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the economic burden associated with child abuse-related hospitalizations.
- To compare healthcare utilization and costs for children hospitalized due to abuse versus other causes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the 1999 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from the Healthcare Costs and Utilization Project (HCUP).
- Compared inpatient stays with diagnoses of child abuse/neglect against stays for other hospitalized children.
Main Results:
- Child abuse hospitalizations were associated with higher mortality rates (4.0% vs 0.5%).
- These hospitalizations involved longer stays (8.2 vs 4.0 days), more diagnoses (6.3 vs 2.8), and doubled total charges ($19,266 vs $9513).
- Medicaid was the primary payer for a majority of child abuse cases (66.5% vs 37.0%).
Conclusions:
- Child abuse results in substantial economic and medical costs.
- Earlier identification and intervention for children at risk of abuse and neglect are essential to mitigate these costs.
Objectives:
This study assessed the economic burden of child abuse-related hospitalizations.
Methods:
We compared inpatient stays coded with a diagnosis of child abuse or neglect with stays of other hospitalized children using the 1999 National Inpatient Sample of the Healthcare Costs and Utilization Project.
Results:
Children whose hospital stays were coded with a diagnosis of abuse or neglect were significantly more likely to have died during hospitalization (4.0% vs 0.5%), have longer stays (8.2 vs 4.0 days), twice the number of diagnoses (6.3 vs 2.8), and double the total charges (19,266 vs 9513 US dollars) than were other hospitalized children. Furthermore, the primary payer was typically Medicaid (66.5% vs 37.0%).
Conclusion:
Earlier identification of children at risk for child abuse and neglect might reduce the individual, medical, and societal costs.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Specialized Care Centers and Settings-II
Rural health centers are specialized care facilities in remote locations with very few medical personnel. The primary care providers who run the centers are mostly Registered Nurse Practitioners. Here, emergency treatment is provided to critically ill or injured patients before they are transferred to the closest hospital. Fortunately, due to advancement in technology, many rural healthcare facilities and professionals have easy access to diagnostic and treatment...
01:22Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
01:30Specialized Care Centers and Settings-I
Daycare centers
They provide several functions. Some facilities care for healthy newborns and children whose parents work, while others are medically focused and care for...
01:29Issues And Trends In Healthcare Delivery System
Cost Containment
Payment for healthcare services has historically promoted adoption of costly and often unnecessary or inefficient...
01:28Hospitals-I
01:13Torts II