Incidence and cause of fractures in European districts.
OBJECTIVE
To compare fracture rates in European districts.


METHODS
Geographically defined areas of Wales (Swansea and Neath Port Talbot), Norway (Harstad, Trondheim, Stavanger, and Drammen), Sweden (Jamtlands), and Finland (Porvoo).


METHODS
Surveillance of fractures at emergency departments and hospitals and linkage with population data. Comparison of age adjusted and crude rates. Calculation of confidence intervals for ratios.


RESULTS
A total of 4113 fractures occurred in 167 560 children during 1996. Fracture rates in south Wales (36 per 1000) were substantially higher than in Scandinavian districts (which were similar). Limiting analysis to the most severe injuries to correct for the possibility of ascertainment bias reduced some of the excess rate in Wales: the Welsh:Scandinavian fracture ratio was 1.82 (95% confidence interval: 1.64 to 2.03).


CONCLUSIONS
Fracture rates in Welsh children are substantially higher than in Scandinavian children.
Lyons
R A
RA
Collaboration in Accident Prevention and Injury Control, Welsh Combined Centres for Public Health, University of Wales College of Medicine, Wales, UK. LYONSRA@cardiff.ac.uk
Sellstrom
E
E
Delahunty
A M
AM
Loeb
M
M
Varilo
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014852:Wales / Q000453:epidemiology