Citation

McKinlay A, Grace RC, Horwood LJ, Fergusson DM, Ridder EM, Macfarlane MR. Brain Inj. 2008; 22(2): 175-181.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/02699050801888824

PMID

18240046

Abstract

Background: Little is known about the incidence and prevalence of traumatic brain injury (TBI), particularly for infants, children and young adults. Primary objective: The purpose of this study was to provide an accurate estimate of the incidence and prevalence of TBIs for individuals between 0-25 years of age. Method and procedures: A birth cohort of 1265 individuals was used, for which information regarding TBI events, both hospitalized and non-hospitalized, had been recorded. Main outcomes and results: The average incidence for this age group ranged from 1.10-2.36 per 100 per year, with an overall prevalence of approximately 30%. The most common source of injury was falls for individuals 0-14 years of age and contact sports and motor vehicle accidents for 15-25 year olds. Approximately one third of the individuals who experienced a TBI went on to have one or more additional injuries. Conclusions: The incidence rates reported here are much higher than those previously found. It is clear that TBIs constitute a major health issue and therefore it is important to have accurate information to enable planning for primary healthcare services and to inform prevention programmes.

Language: en