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Abstract
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Background
Injury is the leading cause of death or disability in children and adolescents. Deaths from injuries have recently declined, but studies on the occurrence of non-fatal injuries are lacking.
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to investigate the experience of non-fatal injury in children and adolescents younger than 20 years based on Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey data from 2007 to 2018.
Methods
A questionnaire survey was conducted on whether children and adolescents had experienced an injury requiring a hospital visit in the past year. We investigated the risk factors of the injury experience and the characteristics of the injury.
Results
Of a total of 21,598 children and adolescents, 1,748 experienced one or more injuries in the previous year, and the weighted percentage was 8.1%. There was no difference by year in proportion of injuries experienced. In male subjects, 10.0% had injury experience; in female participants, 6.1% had injury experience (P < 0.001). The highest rate was 9.0% in children aged 1-4 years. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, being male; having an urban residence; having restricted activity due to visual impairment, hearing impairment, or developmental impairment; and having a diagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder were identified as significant risk factors for injury experience. The characteristics of up to 3 injuries per patient were investigated, and a total of 1,951 injuries was analyzed. Falls and slips accounted for 34.9%, collisions accounted for 34.1%, and motor vehicle accidents accounted for 11.3% of total injuries. Ninety-six percent of injuries were unintentional, 20% of injuries caused absence from school, and 10% of injuries required hospitalization.
Conclusion
Among Korean children and adolescents, 8.1% experienced injuries at least once a year, with no significant differences in incidence over the past 12 years. More attention and efforts to prevent injury are needed.
Language: en |