Investigating the relationship between weather and violence in Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Abstract Background It is a common refrain at major urban trauma centers that caseloads increase in the heat of the summer. Several previous studies supported this assertion, finding trauma admissions and crime to correlate positively with temperature. We examined links between weather and violence...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Injury Vol. 47; no. 1; pp. 272 - 276
Main Authors:	Michel, Samuel J, Wang, Han, Selvarajah, Shalini, Canner, Joseph K, Murrill, Matthew, Chi, Albert, Efron, David T, Schneider, Eric B
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01-01-2016
Subjects:	Baltimore Baltimore - epidemiology Crime - psychology Female Homicide - psychology Homicide - statistics & numerical data Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data Humans Male Models, Theoretical Orthopedics Prospective Studies Risk Assessment Seasons Temperature Trauma Trauma Centers - statistics & numerical data Violence Violence - psychology Violence - statistics & numerical data Violent crime Weather Wounds and Injuries - epidemiology Wounds and Injuries - etiology Wounds and Injuries - psychology Violent crime Weather Temperature Baltimore Violence Trauma
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Summary:	Abstract Background It is a common refrain at major urban trauma centers that caseloads increase in the heat of the summer. Several previous studies supported this assertion, finding trauma admissions and crime to correlate positively with temperature. We examined links between weather and violence in Baltimore, MD, through trauma presentation to Johns Hopkins Hospital and crime reports filed with the Baltimore Police Department. Methods Crime data were obtained from the Baltimore City Police Department from January 1, 2008 to March 31, 2013. Trauma data were obtained from a prospectively collected registry of all trauma patients presenting to Johns Hopkins Hospital from January 1, 2007 to March 31, 2013. Weather data were obtained from the National Climatic Data Center. Correlation coefficients were calculated and negative binomial regression was used to elucidate the independent associations of weather and temporal variables with the trauma and crime data. Results When adjusting for temporal and meteorological factors, maximum daily temperature was positively associated with total trauma, intentional injury, and gunshot wounds presenting to Johns Hopkins Hospital along with total crime, violent crime, and homicides in Baltimore City. Associations of average wind speed, daily precipitation, and daily snowfall with trauma and crime were far weaker and, when significant, nearly universally negative. Conclusion Maximum daily temperature is the most important weather factor associated with violence and trauma in our study period and location. Our findings suggest potential implications for hospital staffing to be explored in future studies.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	0020-1383 1879-0267
DOI:	10.1016/j.injury.2015.07.006