Airgun injuries in New Zealand, 1979-92.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the epidemiology of serious airgun injury in New Zealand.


METHODS
Cases were selected from the New Zealand Health Information Service's hospital inpatient morbidity data files for the period 1979 to 1992 inclusive.


RESULTS
There were 718 airgun related injuries resulting in 1.56 injuries/100,000 population/year. Males and 10-14 year olds had higher than average rates of injury. The majority of the incidents were unintentional. There has been a marked decline in injury rates since 1989.


CONCLUSIONS
Airgun injuries, while not as serious as powder firearm injuries, account for a significant personal and societal burden. The results suggest that strategies aimed at controlling these injuries, especially those pertaining to children, are in need of review.
Langley
J D
JD
Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago Medical School, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Norton
R N
RN
Alsop
J C
JC
Marshall
S W
SW
D000056:Accident Prevention; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005389:Firearms; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control