Table 4

Risk factors for experiencing physical violence from clients in the last 12 months among indoor-working sex workers in London significant in a multivariate analysis

Physical violence§p Value*
n/n%UnadjustedAdjusted
OR95% CIOR95% CI
Demographic indicators
Migrant status
 UK-born26/10325.2%1.01.0
 Eastern Europe37/15224.3%1.00.53 to 1.700.80.37 to 1.860.65
Recruitment method
 Outside of project41/18122.6%1.01.0
 Project drop-in/outreach referral22/7429.7%1.40.78 to 2.651.60.76 to 3.490.21
Sexual risk behaviours
10 or more clients in last 7 days
 No18/9020.0%1.01.0
 Yes30/9730.9%1.80.91 to 3.511.70.80 to 3.55
 Don't know/no response15/6822.10%1.10.52 to 2.451.00.41 to 2.430.28
Currently has non-paying sex partner
 No20/10519.1%1.01.0
 Yes41/14727.9%1.60.90 to 3.012.01.03 to 3.960.04
Adverse health outcomes
Alcohol audit score
 Scores <330/10030.0%1.01.0
 Scores 3+27/13719.7%0.60.31 to 1.040.40.21 to 0.820.01
Used drugs during or before sex work in last 4 weeks
 No45/20322.2%1.01.0
 Yes17/4537.8%2.11.07 to 4.241.90.81 to 4.380.14
Ever been arrested or imprisoned
 No43/20021.5%1.01.0
 Yes19/5335.8%2.01.06 to 3.932.61.14 to 5.710.02
  • * p Value derived from Wald test.

  • 10 people were recruited via outreach referrals.

  • This includes cold calling, field workers' personal contacts or acquaintance or social network referrals and one recruit of unknown origin.

  • § Physical violence is defined as reporting one or more of the following incidences: being robbed, hit, beaten, threatened, attacked with a weapon or kidnapped.

  • Final model adjusted for migrant status, recruitment location, having a current sex partner, lifetime experience of arrest or prison, and alcohol audit score.