Left-handedness increases injury risk in adolescent girls.
In a self-report survey of a representative national sample of 4081 Scottish schoolchildren, injuries requiring medical assistance were more common in left-handers; these were also more severe and likely to involve an overnight stay in hospital. Particularly at risk were adolescent girls with a 32% greater chance of being injured if they were left-handed compared with their right-handed peers. The corresponding relative risk for boys was not significant.
Wright
P
P
Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Williams
J
J
Currie
C
C
Beattie
T
T
D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*