Citation

Williamson LM, Morrison A, Stone DH. J. Epidemiol. Community Health 2002; 56(4): 285-288.

Affiliation

Paediatric Epidemiology and Community Health (PEACH) Unit, Department of Child Health, University of Glasgow, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill, Glasgow G3 8SJ, UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11896136

PMCID

PMC1732128

Abstract

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To examine the trends in childhood head injury mortality in Scotland between 1986 and 1995. DESIGN: Analysis of routine mortality data from the registrar general for Scotland. SETTING: Scotland, UK. SUBJECTS: Children aged 0-14 years. MAIN RESULTS: A total of 290 children in Scotland died as a result of a head injury between 1986 and 1995. While there was a significant decline in the head injury mortality rate, head injury as a proportion of all injury fatalities remained relatively stable. Boys, and children residing in relatively less affluent areas had the highest head injury mortality rates. Although both these groups experienced a significant decline over the study period, the mortality differences between children in deprivation categories 1-2 and 6-7 persisted among 0-9 year olds, and increased in the 10-14 years age group. Pedestrian accidents were the leading cause of mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Children residing in less affluent areas seem to be at relatively greater risk of sustaining a fatal head injury than their more affluent counterparts. While the differences between the most and least affluent have decreased overall, they have widened among 10-14 year olds. The decline in head injury mortality as a result of pedestrian accidents may be partly attributable to injury prevention measures.

Language: en