Socio-economic differences in intentional injuries: a national study of Swedish male and female adolescents.

OBJECTIVE

To measure socio-economic differences in intentional injuries among Swedish adolescents.

METHOD

A cross-sectional study, based on linkage of records from national registers, considering injuries incurred by all adolescents domiciled in Sweden in 1990-94. Absolute and relative differences between adolescents from four household socio-economic groups (SEGs) were measured, considering separately males and females, two age categories (10-14 and 15-19 years) and injuries caused by interpersonal violence and self-inflicted injuries.

RESULTS

Absolute differences (in injury incidence) between SEGs were greatest for self-inflicted injuries, among older female adolescents. There were clear social gradients in all instances, but relative differences (relative risks) reached a peak for interpersonal violence among younger adolescents, for both boys and girls.

CONCLUSION

There is a clear association among Swedish adolescents between type of intentional injury and gender, with absolute differences remarkably wide for self-inflicted injuries. For a given age category, gender-specific social gradients are quite comparable within diagnosis.