Key Points Question Are there associations between the COVID-19 stay-at-home order issued March 2020 in Chicago, Illinois, and the rate of domestic violence (DV) police reporting and resource availability? Findings In this cohort study of 77 Chicago community areas, the stay-at-home order was associated with a decrease in the rate of DV police reports by 21.8 crimes per 100 000 persons per month relative to the same months in 2019, a finding observed largely in Black communities, with no significant change in White communities. Resource availability decreased by 5.1 resources per 100 000 persons. Meaning The decreased rate of DV police reports during the stay-at-home order, especially in Black majority communities, may be due to decreased DV incidence or exacerbated underreporting; resource availability also decreased on the predominantly Black south side of Chicago. Importance Domestic violence (DV) has become a growing public health concern during the COVID-19 pandemic because individuals may be sheltering in place with abusers and facing mounting economic and health-related stresses. Objective To analyze associations of the 2020 COVID-19 stay-at-home (SH) order with DV police reporting and resource availability, including differences by community area racial/ethnic composition. Design, Setting, and Participants This longitudinal cohort study assessed DV police reports (January-June 2020) obtained from the Chicago, Illinois, Police Department and DV resource availability (March and August 2020) obtained from the NowPow community resource database, both for 77 community areas in Chicago. Data were analyzed July through December 2020. Exposures The COVID-19 SH order effective March 21, 2020. Main Outcomes and Measures Monthly rates of DV police reports and DV resource availability per 100 000 persons. Results Of 77 community areas in Chicago, 28 (36.4%) were majority Black, 19 (24.7%) majority Hispanic/Latinx, 18 (23.4%) majority White, and 12 (15.6%) a different or no majority race/ethnicity, representing an estimated population of 2 718 555 individuals. For each community area, the SH order was associated with a decrease in the rate of DV police reports by 21.8 (95% CI, −30.48 to −13.07) crimes per 100 000 persons per month relative to the same months in 2019. Compared with White majority community areas, Black majority areas had a decrease in the rate of DV police reports by 40.8 (95% CI, −62.93 to −18.75) crimes per 100 000 persons per month relative to the same months in 2019. The SH order was also associated with a decrease in DV resource availability at a rate of 5.1 (95% CI, −7.55 to −2.67) resources per 100 000 persons, with the largest decreases for mental health (−4.3 [95% CI, −5.97 to −2.66] resources per 100 000 persons) and personal safety (−2.4 [95% CI, −4.40 to −0.41] resources per 100 000 persons). The Black majority south side of Chicago had a larger decrease in resource availability (−6.7 [95% CI, −12.92 to −0.46] resources per 100 000 persons) than the White majority north side. Conclusions and Relevance In this longitudinal cohort study, the rate of DV police reports decreased after the SH order was implemented in Chicago. This decrease was largely observed in Black majority communities, whereas there was no significant change in White majority communities. These findings may reflect decreased DV incidence but may also reflect an exacerbation of underreporting. In addition, DV resource availability decreased disproportionately on the predominantly Black south side of Chicago. This cohort study assesses whether a COVID-19 stay-at-home order was associated with changes in police report rates or domestic violence resource availability that differed by racial/ethnic majority compositions in 77 community areas of Chicago, Illinois.
【초록키워드】 COVID-19, public health, mental health, COVID-19 pandemic, database, cohort study, Community, incidence, domestic violence, Chicago, resource, association, exposure, police, monthly rate, black, 95% CI, individual, longitudinal cohort study, measure, white, participant, finding, Department, objective, effective, setting, decrease, Result, analyzed, addition, exacerbated, majority, changes in, representing, individuals, Importance, Point, Relevance, 【제목키워드】 COVID-19, Violence, Reporting, Chicago, police,