Notifications of physical violence against people with disabilities in Espírito Santo, Brazil, from 2011 to 2018

Abstract

Introduction: People with disabilities are considered a risk group for the various forms of violence, raising discussions about their care and protection. Objectives: To identify the frequency of reported physical violence against people with disabilities and its association with the characteristics of the victim, the aggressor and the event. Methodology: Cross-sectional study, carried out in the state of Espirito Santo from 2011 to 2018 from the database of the Notifiable Diseases Information System The descriptive analysis was performed using Pearson’s chi-square test, multivariate by the Regres­sion test of Poisson. The research was approved by the ethics committee. Results: The frequency of physical violence was 36.9%, especially male victims (PR = 1.17; 95%CI: 1.02-1.34), adults (PR= 1.59; 95%CI: 0.99-2.56), of black/brown race/color, (PR=CI95%: 1.08-1.45) and who lived in rural areas. The aggressors were mostly men, suspected of using alcohol and occurring on public roads. Conclusion: Physical violence proved to be prevalent among people with disabilities, bringing importance to its study and associated factors for greater visibility of the disease and the victims.