Sensory deficit and the risk of pedestrian injury.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between sensory deficit and the risk of child pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions.


METHODS
The Auckland region of New Zealand.


METHODS
A community based case-control study was conducted. Cases (n = 190) were all children (< 15 years) killed or hospitalised as a result of a pedestrian injury occurring on a public road between 1 January 1992 and 1 March 1994. Controls (n = 479) were a random sample of the child population.


RESULTS
The risk of pedestrian injury for children whose parents reported abnormal vision was over four times that of children with reported normal vision (odds ratio = 4.25, 95% confidence interval 1.68 to 10.8). The risk of injury for children whose parents reported abnormal hearing was close to twice that of children with reported normal hearing (odds ratio = 1.73, 95% confidence interval 0.83 to 3.61).


CONCLUSIONS
Children with sensory deficits constitute a high risk group for pedestrian injuries. Paediatricians caring for children with sensory impairments should be aware of this increased risk.
Roberts
I
I
Starship Children's Health, South Pacific, Auckland, New Zealand.
Norton
R
R
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015996:Survival Rate; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016138:Walking