Multiple correspondence analysis as a strategy to explore the association between categories of qualitative variables related to oral-maxillofacial trauma and violent crimes at the community level

The main objective of this study was to show the applicability of multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) in the detection and representation of underlying structures in large datasets used to investigate oral-maxillofacial lesions. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving the analysis of the medical-forensic and social records of 992 people who experienced oral-maxillofacial trauma resulting from non-fatal violent crimes that occurred in the community. Based on the MCA results, two distinct victim profiles were identified. The first profile was characterized by adult men, victims of instruments of violence (such as firearms, knives, or mixed aggression), resulting in severe trauma, mainly affecting the upper or middle third of the face. The second profile was characterized by adolescent and young adult women, victims of aggression using physical force, resulting in soft tissue traumas, mainly affecting the lower third of the face or more than one region at the same time. MCA has been demonstrated to be a powerful tool for exploring complex data related to oral-maxillofacial trauma, showing whether there is a relationship and how variables are related. This multivariate method can also be very valuable in the study of several outcomes in oral and maxillofacial surgery and supporting specialties.