Injuries in the adolescent population in Scotland: patterns and types of injuries sustained.
OBJECTIVE
To provide information on the incidence, sex distribution, type, site and severity of injuries requiring medical attention reported in a nationally representative sample of Scottish teenagers studied longitudinally.


METHODS
Health visitors administered structured interviews with parents (usually mothers). Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS-PC, and qualitative and textual data were coded using the Abbreviated Injury Score (AIS).


METHODS
Scotland.


METHODS
Responses were received in respect of 958 (68%) of the estimated 1,416 teenagers enrolled in the British Cohort Study (BCS 70), and resident in Scotland in 1986/7.


RESULTS
43% of subjects were reported as having experienced one or more unintentional injury events requiring medical attention between the ages of 10 and 16/17. Boys experienced significantly more injuries than girls. Neither social class nor region appeared to be a significant risk factor for reported injury.


CONCLUSIONS
Patterns of accidents in Scottish adolescents are reported. Further areas for study are suggested.
Beattie
T
T
Accident & Emergency Department, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh.
Richards
D
D
Belton
N
N
Moffat
M
M
Elton
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003152:Community Health Nursing; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*