Playground equipment injuries at home versus those in public settings: differences in severity

Abstract

The objective of the present research was to compare the severity of playground-related injuries in backyards of home with those occurring in public settings. This case-control study used emergency-based surveillance data from Canada regarding children, 3-11 years old, who were injured after falling from playground equipment (PGE). Cases were those whose injuries occurred at home (backyards), and controls were those whose injuries occurred in parks, schools or daycare centres. Of the 39,730 subjects selected, 84% happened in public and 16% at home. Children falling from a home PGE had greater odds of severe injuries (OR=1.30; 95% CI 1.23 to 1.37) and fractures (OR=1.47; 95% CI 1.39 to 1.55) than those from public PGE. Children aged 3-5 years falling off slides at home, compared to slides in public settings, had the greatest odds of severe injuries (OR=1.72; 95% CI 1.41 to 2.09) and fractures (OR=2.17; 95% CI 1.79 to 2.64.) When setting up PGE at home, parents should be diligent in using proper landing surfaces, such as those found in public playgrounds.

Incidence and cost of hospitalisation of children with injuries from playground equipment falls in New South Wales, Australia

“…Where the place of occurrence was specified, the majority of injuries reported in this study occurred in schools and homes, similar to other national and international studies . Schools and the home are therefore prime locations to target playground fall injury prevention in children.…”

“…Schools and the home are therefore prime locations to target playground fall injury prevention in children. Interventions that promote safe installation of play equipment at home, with consideration of impact absorbing surfaces, are recommended to reduce the risk of injuries . It is important to ensure that care givers are aware of safety recommendations and the risks associated with playground equipment, as well as the importance of supervision during use.…”

“…Where the place of occurrence was specified, the majority of injuries reported in this study occurred in schools and homes, similar to other national and international studies. 6,27,28 Schools and the home are therefore prime locations to target playground fall injury prevention in children. Interventions that promote safe installation of play equipment at home, with consideration of impact absorbing surfaces, are recommended to reduce the risk of injuries.…”

“…Interventions that promote safe installation of play equipment at home, with consideration of impact absorbing surfaces, are recommended to reduce the risk of injuries. 28,29 It is important to ensure that care givers are aware of safety recommendations and the risks associated with playground equipment, as well as the importance of supervision during use. This information should be made available when purchasing play equipment, at schools, and through community centres.…”

Brief Communication on Parents’ Perception towards Favourite Play Equipment, Satisfaction Level and Safety of Public Climbing Equipment in Malaysia

“…Research indicate that 75% of the injuries at the playground are caused by the fall of children from equipment (Norraliza, 2012). Out of 39,730 selected cases, 84% happened in public playgrounds (Keays & Skinner, 2012), where climbing equipment were always accounted for most of the injuries among children (Cassell & Clapperton, 2014). Climbing equipmnet is publicly known to be one of the most prevalent equipment among children (Bourke & Sargisson, 2014;Mani, Mehdi Hosseini, & Abdullah, 2012;McDonald, 2001;Sargisson & McLean, 2013).…”