Abstract
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.
Résumé
Objectifs: 1) décrire les schémas dans les blessures subies par les jeunes Canadiens, et 2) voir si des facteurs préjudiciables dans leurs façons de vivre caractérisent les jeunes blessés.
Conception: analyse secondaire de l’Enquête canadienne sur les comportements sanitaires des enfants d’âge scolaire, 1993–1994 (enfants inscrits en 6e, 8e et 10e années.)
Principale mesure: blessures physiques subies dans les douze mois avant l’enquête. Résultats: chaque année, 36 % des jeunes Canadiens souffrent d’une blessure au moins. Les risques varient selon l’année scolaire, le genre et la cause de la blessure. Si on extrapole à la population canadienne, cela signifie qu’il y a chaque année plus de 600 000 blessures chez les jeunes. Les blessures occasionnées par le sport et les chutes accidentelles sont apparues comme les principales situations à l’origine de blessures. On n’a trouvé que peu de données montrant que des styles de vie préjudiciables caractérisent les jeunes à risque élevé.
Conclusions: les blessures dont sont victimes les jeunes constituent un grave problème de santé publique. Une surveillance constante doit être mise en place au Canada. Les prochaines mises à jour de cette enquête permettront en partie de répondre à ce besoin.
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