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Unintentional Injuries in Primary and Secondary Schools in the United States, 2001‐2013
Author(s) -
Zagel Alicia L.,
Cutler Gretchen J.,
Linabery Amy M.,
Spaulding Alicen B.,
Kharbanda Anupam B.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of school health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.851
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1746-1561
pISSN - 0022-4391
DOI - 10.1111/josh.12711
Subject(s) - medicine , incidence (geometry) , injury prevention , poison control , occupational safety and health , suicide prevention , demography , emergency department , population , recreation , human factors and ergonomics , pediatrics , medical emergency , environmental health , psychiatry , physics , pathology , sociology , law , political science , optics
BACKGROUND Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of youth morbidity. However, limited nationally representative data are available to characterize the occurrence of unintentional injuries at US schools. Given this paucity, we characterized secular trends in unintentional injuries at schools that led to emergency department (ED) visits. METHODS A retrospective analysis of the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System‐All Injury Program from 2001 to 2013 compared injuries occurring at schools to injuries occurring elsewhere in youth ages 5‐18 years. Incidence rates were calculated using weighted frequency estimates as numerators and US population estimates as denominators. RESULTS School injuries accounted for 21% of unintentional injury‐related ED visits, with an estimated annual incidence rate of 1385 injuries per 100,000 5‐ to 18‐year‐olds. Middle school‐aged youth (10‐13 years) had the highest annual incidence rate (1640 per 100,000 youth) compared with younger and older counterparts. School injuries were more likely to be due to sports/recreation than nonschool injuries (55% vs 41%, p < .0001). Importantly, no detectable change in incidence rates of school injuries between 2001 and 2013 was found (p = .11). CONCLUSIONS Stagnant annual incidence rates of unintentional injuries at schools and large numbers of school‐based injuries demonstrate that school‐based injuries are a notable opportunity for future prevention efforts.