Child and adolescent injury as a result of falls from buildings and structures.
OBJECTIVE
To examine incidence, demographic risk factors, and patterns of injury resulting from falls from buildings and structures in areas with and without a legislation based prevention programme.


METHODS
The Health Care Cost and Utilization Project (KID-HCUP) was used to produce national estimates of hospital admissions due to falls from buildings in the US. Areas of New York with and without window guard legislation were identified through the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS).


METHODS
Children and adolescents aged 0-18 years.


METHODS
Legislation based window fall prevention programme with enforcement.


METHODS
Hospitalization for injury as a result of falls from buildings and structures in areas with and without enforced mandatory window guard legislation.


RESULTS
New York City has a higher proportion of the population residing in multi-family dwellings with 10 or more units compared with the nation (53.8% v 12.6%, p<0.0001), but the incidence of injury resulting from falls from buildings is nearly half that observed in the US. For young children, warm weather risks begin earlier and extend later than previously reported. Incidence in very young minority children is nearly twice that of whites. Nearly 90% of children aged 0--4 years fall at home, but the proportion decreases linearly with age.


CONCLUSIONS
Window guards are associated with reduced injury resulting from falls from buildings and should be mandated in multi-family dwellings where small children reside. Prevention programmes for young children should be initiated in early spring and continued through fall.
Pressley
J C
JC
Injury Free Coalition for Kids, Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. JP376@columbia.edu
Barlow
B
B
D000056:Accident Prevention / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004869:Equipment Safety / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D012621:Seasons; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology