Gender Differences in Characteristics of Assault-Related Injury Patients Referred to a Level I Trauma Center in Southern Iran

The purpose of this study is to look into the sex differences in characteristics of assault-related injury patients referred to a Level I trauma center in southern Iran. This cross-sectional study analyzed 480 records of patients admitted for assault-related injuries at a Level I trauma center in southern Iran between 2023 and 2024. The study used data from the Shiraz Trauma Registry to examine demographic characteristics, type of trauma, location of injury, body regions affected, hospital length of stay, and injury severity score. Patients (age ≥ 18 years) admitted for assault-related injuries were included, except for those admitted for other reasons or follow-up. We employed logistic regression statistical models for analysis. In this study, 93.1% of the patients were male, and the mean age of the patients was 32.46 ± 13.40 years. Univariate analysis showed that female patients had a significantly higher mean age than male patients (47.94 ± 17.5 vs. 31.32 ± 12.3, <i>p</i> < .001). Most females were married (81.8%) and suffered blunt trauma injuries (57.6%), while most males were single (55.7%) and experienced penetrating trauma (62.2%; <i>p</i> < .001 for marital status, <i>p</i> = .025 for trauma type). Significant gender-related differences were identified in injury locations (<i>p</i> < .001). For males, roads and highways were the most prevalent sites for injuries (41.4%), whereas for females, home was the leading location for assault injuries (45.5%). Additionally, logistic regression analysis showed significant differences between males and females regarding age (<i>p</i> = .002), type of trauma (<i>p</i> = .035), assault-related abdominal injuries (<i>p</i> = .017), and locations of assault injuries, including home (<i>p</i> < .001) and roads and highways (<i>p</i> < .001). Our study identified significant gender disparities regarding assault injuries. These results highlight the necessity for sex-specific strategies in both injury prevention and treatment, considering the distinct characteristics and circumstances related to assault injuries in different demographic groups.