HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Peek-Asa, C. Articles by Whitten, P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Peek-Asa, C. Articles by Whitten, P. Related Collections Injury/Emergency Care/Violence Occupational Health Prevention

Corinne Peek-Asa, PhD, Carri Casteel, PhD, Jess F. Kraus, PhD and Paul Whitten, MS

Corinne Peek-Asa and Paul Whitten are with the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Injury Prevention Research Center, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City. Carri Casteel is with the Department of Epidemiology and the Injury Prevention Research Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Jess Kraus is with the Department of Epidemiology and the Southern California Injury Prevention Research Center, University of California, Los Angeles.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Corinne Peek-Asa, University of Iowa IPRC, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, 100 Oakdale Blvd, 114 IREH, Iowa City, IA 52242 (e-mail: corinne-peek-asa{at}uiowa.edu).

Objectives. We sought to compare the frequency and risk factors for employees and customers injured during crimes in retail (convenience, grocery, and liquor stores) and service businesses (bars, restaurants, motels).

Methods. A total of 827 retail and service businesses in Los Angeles were randomly selected. Police crime reports (n=2029) from violent crimes that occurred in these businesses from January 1996 through June 2001 were individually reviewed to determine whether a customer or an employee was injured and to collect study variables.

Results. A customer injury was 31% more likely (95% confidence interval [CI]=1.11, 1.51) than an employee injury during a violent crime. Customer injury was more frequent than employee injury during violent crimes in bars, restaurants, convenience stores, and motels but less likely in grocery or liquor stores. Injury risk was increased for both employees and customers when resisting the perpetrator and when the perpetrator was suspected of using alcohol. Customers had an increased risk for injury during crimes that occurred outside (relative risk [RR]=2.01; 95% CI=1.57, 2.58) and at night (RR=1.79; 95% CI=1.40, 2.29).

Conclusions. Security programs should be designed to protect customers as well as employees.