Citation

Möller H, Falster K, Ivers R, Falster M, Randall D, Clapham K, Jorm L. Am. J. Public Health 2016; 106(5): 899-905.

Affiliation

Holger Möller, Michael Falster, Deborah Randall, and Louisa Jorm are with the Centre for Big Data Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Kathleen Falster is with National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. Rebecca Ivers is with the Injury Division, George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, Australia. Kathleen Clapham is with the Australian Health Services Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, American Public Health Association)

DOI

10.2105/AJPH.2015.303022

PMID

26890169

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To quantify inequalities in rates of unintentional injury-related hospitalizations between Australian Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children.

METHODS: We used linked hospital and mortality data to construct a retrospective whole-of-population birth cohort including 1 124 717 children born in the state of New South Wales, Australia, between July 1, 2000 and December 31, 2012. We adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of first injury hospitalization for geographic clustering and individual- and area-level factors.

RESULTS: Aboriginal children were 1.6 times more likely than were non-Aboriginal children to be hospitalized for an unintentional injury. The largest inequalities were for poisoning (HR = 2.7; 95% CI = 2.4, 3.0) and injuries stemming from exposure to fire, flames, heat, and hot substances (HR = 2.4; 95% CI = 2.1, 2.7). Adjustment reduced the inequality for all unintentional injury overall (HR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.3, 1.4) and within leading injury mechanisms.

CONCLUSIONS: Australian Aboriginal children suffer a disproportionately high burden of unintentional injury. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print February 18, 2016: e1-e7. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2015.303022).

Language: en