State-wide analysis of trends and patterns of emergency department presentations of violence against women in New South Wales, Australia 2015-2022: a data linkage study.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the features and rates of emergency department (ED) presentations identified as related to violence against women (VAW) and of confirmed cases of family domestic violence (FDV) inpatient admissions and to compare these across geographic locations in New South Wales (NSW) Australia. DESIGN: A retrospective data linkage study. SETTING: Routinely collected public hospital data from approximately 180 designated public hospital EDs in NSW, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Cases were included if female, aged ≥15 years, presenting to any NSW ED between 2015 and 2022 and with one or more criteria indicating VAW, leading to 21 219 cases being included. PRIMARY OUTCOMES: The age-standardised rate of VAW ED presentations per year and confirmed FDV inpatient admissions within metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in NSW, Australia. RESULTS: Women presenting with VAW were more likely to be aged 25-44 years (n=9705, 45.7%), with almost 20% of presentations from women who identified as Indigenous (n=4153, 19.6%). Indigenous presentations were greater in non-metropolitan areas (n=2675, 30.9%) compared with metropolitan areas (n=1478, 11.8%). Indigenous women in NSW represent only 4.2% of the estimated residential population. VAW presentation rates by age group varied over time, a gradual increase being seen in the 65-84 year-old age group who experienced 45 VAW presentations per year in 2015 to 79 presentations per year in 2022 with an annual rate of change of 7.3%. CONCLUSION: VAW accounts for a substantial burden of ED presentations across NSW; the greatest impact on women aged 25-44 years and Indigenous women, particularly in non-metropolitan areas. Rising presentations among older women further highlight the need for strengthened ED screening and referral pathways and for targeted resource allocation to address inequities in family, domestic and sexual violence.