Hospitalisation for injuries among Finnish conscripts in 1990-1999.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the incidence, trends and nature of hospitalisation for injuries among Finnish conscripts between 1990 and 1999.


METHODS
A hospital discharge register study on the hospitalisation for injuries with a follow-up of 213509-person-years.


RESULTS
During the 10-year study period, altogether 20016 hospitalisations for injuries were registered. Over this period, the annual incidence of hospitalisation for injuries declined with 26%, from 113.3 (95% CI: 108.7-118.0) per 1000 conscripts in 1990 to 84.1 (95% CI: 80.0-88.2) in 1999. Summer and autumn were the seasons with the highest incidence rates. Half of the injuries were sprains, strains, or fractures, and in half of the injuries, the anatomical location involved was the lower limb. The leading external causes of injuries were falls (31.8%) and injuries inflicted by foreign objects or machinery (18.5%).


CONCLUSIONS
Although hospitalisations for injuries declined between 1990 and 1999, injuries are still an important cause of morbidity in the Finnish Defence Forces. Further studies to evaluate the risk factors and mechanisms of injuries are needed to develop effective prevention strategies.
Mattila
Ville M
VM
Research Institute of Military Medicine, Central Military Hospital, PL 50, 00301 Helsinki, Finland. ville.mattila@uta.fi
Parkkari
Jari
J
Korpela
Heikki
H
Pihlajamäki
Harri
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012307:Risk Factors; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control