The imperative for universal screening of domestic violence: Social determinants of health disparities during COVID-19 within New Jersey

Background

It is recognized that stressors encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic created an environment that exacerbated DV. COVID disproportionately impacted at-risk populations, but it is unclear if these social determinants of health disparities similarly impact the incidence of DV. This study aimed to identify and highlight affected communities within the state of New Jersey (NJ) that were disproportionately affected by domestic violence (DV) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Study design

The study design was retrospective cross-sectional.

Methods

Public data from the NJ Department of Health, Department of Law and Public Safety, and US Census were compared. Community factors, DV incidence, and COVID rates were analyzed using a t-test and Spearman correlation.

Results

NJ COVID-19 Incidence rates significantly correlated with varied populations based on socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity. The median incidence of DV per county population significantly increased from 0.55 % in 2019 to 0.63 % in 2020 (p = 0.03). However, DV incidence was not correlated with rates of COVID-19 per county (p = 0.25). Race and ethnicity did not correlate with DV rates (White, p = 0.06; Black, p = 0.11; 2+ races, 0.14; Hispanic, p = 0.55) except for Asian populations (p = 0.01). Some socioeconomic factors did correlate with DV (unemployment, p = 0.04; median household income, p = 0.003); poverty did not (p = 0.11).

Conclusion

NJ experienced a surge in DV rates during the pandemic that cut across communities of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, in contrast to the more unequal impact of COVID-19 incidence. Findings highlight the importance of screening for DV in times of societal distress to clinicians, researchers, and policymakers.