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Table 4 Epidemiological studies from the UK – injuries in young people

From: A review of injury epidemiology in the UK and Europe: some methodological considerations in constructing rates

Author and date

Type of study/data source

Population

(denominator)/size

Level of severity

Epidemiological observation

Major findings

Epidemiological shortcomings

Roberts et al., 1998 [42]

analytical study/Office for National Statistics

children and teenagers

(0–19y)

England and Wales

deaths

proportions by age, gender, type, cause, trends; rates by socio-economic classes, RR (manual/non-manual), correlation homicide and deaths of undetermined intent

1980–1995 declining trends for unintentional injury (16 to 7/100,000) and no declining trends for intentional injury (2/100,000); socioeconomic gradients (e.g. homicide rate social class V is 17 times higher than for children social class I)

Data on deaths only

Roberts et al., 1998 [48]

descriptive study/Office for National Statistics; NHS data

children and teenagers

(0–19y)

England and Wales

deaths, hospitalization

proportions, rates by age and cause, trends of mortality rates and costs

1992 8.6 deaths/100,000 (unintentional injuries); 1.2 deaths/100,000 (intentional)

Socioeconomic gradients, declining trends for unintentional injury 1980–1995

Few data on morbidity – no population based rates

DiGuiseppi et al., 1998 [44]

descriptive study/Office for National Statistics

teenagers

(15–19y)

England and Wales

deaths

proportions and trends of rates per mile travelled by gender, type road user

Travel patterns responsible for (32%) decline in teenage rates 1985–1995; declines in motorcycling (12.1 to 2.5 boys; 1.4 to 0.0 girls), walking (3.2 to 2.1 boys; 1.8 to 0.6 girls) and cycling activities (1.7 to 1.1 boys; 0.4 to 0.1 girls) rates per 100,000

Data on deaths only, focused on road traffic injuries; no population based rates for all injuries

Roberts et al., 1996 [45]

analytic study

Major Trauma Outcome Study

patients (0–24y)/3320 England, Wales, Northern Ireland

deaths, hospitalization

proportions by cause, type, severity (ISS ≥ 16), case fatality, trends in odds of death

1989–1995 16% decline per year of odds of deaths; case fatality (ISS ≥ 16) 50 to 8.8% 0–4y; 29.5 to 16.2% 5–14y; 29.7 to 20.4% 15–24y.; role of hospital care in the reduction of trauma mortality in young people

Data on blunt trauma only; no population based rates; analysis focused on mortality (ISS ≥ 16); pre-hospital deaths not available