Citation

Laflamme L, Engström K, Moller J, Hallqvist J. J. Epidemiol. Community Health 2004; 58(5): 407-411.

Affiliation

Department of Public Health Sciences, Division of Social Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, S-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden. lucie.laflamme@phs.ki.se

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/jech.2003.009852

PMID

15082740

PMCID

PMC1732775

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether perceived failure in school performance increases the potential for children to be physically injured. SUBJECTS: Children aged 10-15 years residing in the Stockholm County and hospitalised or called back for a medical check up because of a physical injury during the school years 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 (n = 592). METHODS: A case-crossover design was used and information on potential injury triggers was gathered by interview. Information about family socioeconomic circumstances was gathered by a questionnaire filled in by parents during the child interview (response rate 87%). RESULTS: Perceived failure in school performance has the potential to trigger injury within up to 10 hours subsequent to exposure (relative risk = 2.70; 95% confidence intervals = 1.2 to 5.8). The risk is significantly higher among pre-adolescents and among children from families at a higher education level. CONCLUSIONS: Experiencing feelings of failure may affect children's physical safety, in particular among pre-adolescents. Possible mechanisms are perceptual deficits and response changes occasioned by the stress experienced after exposure.