Injury in Canadian youth: a secondary analysis of the 1993-94 Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Survey.

OBJECTIVES

1. To describe patterns of injury among Canadian youth, and 2) to explore whether injured youth can be characterized by adverse lifestyle factors.

DESIGN

Secondary analysis of the Canadian 1993-94 Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Survey (youth enrolled in grades 6, 8 and 10). PRIMARY:

OUTCOME

Physical injuries that occurred in the twelve months prior to survey.

RESULTS

Each year, 36% of these Canadian youth experience at least one injury. Risks vary by grade, gender and cause of injury. When extrapolated to the Canadian population, more than 600,000 injuries are experienced by youth annually. Sports injuries and accidental falls were leading contexts of injury. There was only limited evidence to suggest that high-risk youth can be characterized by adverse lifestyle behaviours.

CONCLUSIONS

Injuries to youth are a major public health problem. Ongoing surveillance is required in Canada. Future editions of this survey will, in part, address this need.