Oral and maxillofacial trauma in women assaulted by men: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

BackgroundViolence against women represents an urgent public health problem and has been an increasingly important topic in society's discussions and concerns. Although studies report a high prevalence of injuries to the face and head of women victims of intentional violence, this physical damage has never been investigated by grouped studies. Thus, the objective of this systematic review was to research the characteristics and the overall prevalence of oral-maxillofacial trauma in women victims of physical violence caused by men. MethodsSearches were carried out on Medline (via PubMed) and Lilacs (via Virtual Health Library) and on gray literature until June 16, 2020 (updated on February 12, 2021) without restriction on the year of publication or language. ResultsA total of 27 studies involving 9,318 women victims of aggression by men and 3,738 oral-maxillofacial traumas were included. The prevalence of oral-maxillofacial trauma among all injuries in women was 51% (95% CI 28% - 74%). There was no significant difference in the chance of occurrence between soft tissue injuries (bruises, lacerations, abrasions, edema, erythema, and epistaxis) and hard tissue injuries (OR: 1.44, 95% CI: 0.43 - 4.80). The relationship between the victims and the aggressors was mainly that of intimate partners and relatives. ConclusionsThese results highlight the need for political and ethical reflection to prevent oral-maxillofacial trauma and ensure women's health and human rights.