Injuries and the risk of disability in teenagers and young adults.

Abstract

Objective-To examine the risk of disability from unintentional injury in teenagers and young adults. Methods -Analyses of data from the National Child Development Study, a follow up study of 98% of all children born in England, Scotland, and Wales in one week in March, 1958. In 1981 537 study participants, 76% of the original cohort, were asked about unintentional injuries since age 16 years requiring hospital treatment, and whether these injuries resulted in permanent disability. Results-62% of men and 26% of women reported at least one accident since age 16 resulting in injury that required hospital treatment. Of these accidents, 3.2% caused permanent disability. The risk of disability increased with accident frequency. Injuries requiring hospital admission carried the highest risk of disability (9.7%). However, 54% of permanent disability reported by men and 74% reported by women resulted from injuries treated as outpatients. Road traffic accidents caused 42% of admissions and 31% of disability. Fractures constituted 21% of all injuries but were responsible for 32% of permanent disabilities. Of the permanent disabilities resulting from work related accidents, 82% involved the hand. Of the permanent disabilities resulting from accidents in the home, 32% involved the hand. Conclusions -The targeting of prevention strategies towards the major causes of injury mortality may have a smaller impact on population levels of injury related disability. Non-life threatening injuries, in particular injuries to the hand and limb fractures, resulting from accidents in the workplace, the home, and during sports, make a significant contribution to the prevalence of permanent injury related disability in young adults. (Arch Dis Child 1996;75:156-158)

Predictors of first nonfatal occupational injury following employment in a Brazilian steelworks

“…In this study most of the fractures affected hands, arms, or legs. Nonlife threatening injuries, such as injuries to the hand and arms, resulting from accidents in the workplace were significant contributors to the prevalence of permanent injury-related disability among young adults in Great Britain (16).…”

Nonshared Environmental Influences on Sleep Quality: A Study of Monozygotic Twin Differences

“…Plausible candidates are health problems resulting from accidents. Accidents are a common cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in males within this age group, and are not directly genetically determined (Barker et al 1996;Blum and Nelson-Mmari 2004) (although it is possible that some individuals may be genetically prone to experience more accidents than others, i.e. through greater risk taking behaviour).…”

Management of childhood fractures in Anjouan Island, Comoros

“…Domestic injury and falls are known to be frequent causes of childhood fracture. 1,8 Unlike in developed countries where falls usually occur from high apartment buildings, 9 most of our patients fell from trees.…”

“…In a British review of risk of disability in teenagers and young adults, fractures accounted for 21% of injuries reported and were responsible for 32% of permanent disabilities. 1 Apart from morbidity, fractures are regarded as one of the most reliable indicators of danger in the lives of children. 2 On the island, as in other developing countries, 3± 5 trauma is very common, and fractures account for 28% of patients seen in the emergency unit.…”