Child maltreatment is a major public health problem. Although maltreatment rates vary over time and are influenced by neighborhood characteristics, the unique effects of crime and disadvantage on risk are not well understood. This study utilized a Bayesian spatio-temporal approach to examine risk factors for substantiated child abuse and neglect over a 9-year period across zip codes in Davidson County, Tennessee. Risk for child sexual and physical abuse decreased from 2008 to 2016. In contrast, risk for child neglect increased from 2011 to 2014, followed by a rapid decrease in risk. Whereas higher percentages of families living in poverty were associated with higher risk for all maltreatment subtypes, higher unemployment rates were uniquely associated with risk for child neglect. Crime rates were positively associated with risk for child physical and sexual abuse but not neglect. Results have implications for tailoring prevention strategies according to geographic area and maltreatment subtype.
Background/Aims:
An increasing body of research is being conducted with non-English-speaking
subjects. Study-related materials, including those essential for obtaining
informed consent, must often be translated from English into other
languages. In this study, we sought to examine the types of issues that may
arise when consent materials are translated from English to Spanish.
Methods:
Drawing on expertise from five individuals associated with our research team,
four of whom are native Spanish speakers of different dialects of Spanish,
we crafted translations of our own consent materials for biobanking using a
rigorous, multi-step process involving both forward and back translation. We
then systematically compared our translations to those produced by four
professional translation firms to identify potential concerns in our own and
the professional translations.
Results:
We identified three primary types of problems of relevance for researchers
conducting studies where translation of written information is required.
These included nonequivalent registers (in particular, the introduction of
more complicated language), errors of omission (reducing the clarity of the
information), and changes that altered the substantive meaning of the
information.
Conclusion:
Our findings highlight the importance of working with translators who not
only possess “textbook” knowledge of both languages but also an appreciation
of the sociocultural factors that affect how people interpret and understand
meaning. Moreover, translators who have a basic understanding of research
are more likely to accurately convey essential research concepts. We
describe a series of steps researchers can take that may help to improve the
quality of translated materials.
A growing proportion of prospective research participants in the United States speak limited or no English. We conducted cognitive interviews with native Spanish speakers to test Spanish‐language translations of simplified and traditional biobank consent forms. Comprehension was generally high and did not differ by form. Most of those who received the simplified form felt it contained the right amount of information, compared with fewer than half of those who received the traditional form. Qualitative results allowed us to identify overarching issues related to tone, formality, and voice that may affect prospective participants’ trust and willingness to participate. Certain characteristics of written Spanish are seemingly at odds with recommended actions to simplify consent forms; thus, even when significant empirical effort has been expended to develop simplified consent materials in English, additional work is needed to ensure the accuracy, comprehensibility, and cultural‐congruence of Spanish‐language translations.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.