Socio-economic distribution of environmental risk factors for childhood injury.
OBJECTIVE
Childhood injury remains the single most important cause of mortality in children aged between 1-14 years in many countries. It has been proposed that lower socio-economic status (SES) and poorer housing contribute to potential hazards in the home environment. This study sought to establish whether the prevalence of observed hazards in and around the home was differentially distributed by SES, in order to identify opportunities for injury prevention.


METHODS
This study was a cross-sectional, random sample survey of primary school children from 32 schools in Brisbane. Interviews and house audits were conducted between July 2000 and April 2003 to collect information on SES (income, employment and education) and previously identified household hazards.


RESULTS
There was evidence of a relationship between prevalence of household environmental hazards and household SES; however, the magnitude and direction of this relationship appeared to be hazard-specific. Household income was related to play equipment characteristics, with higher SES groups being more likely to be exposed to risk. All three SES indicators were associated with differences in the home safety characteristics, with the lower SES groups more likely to be exposed to risk.


CONCLUSIONS
The differential distribution of environmental risk factors by SES of household may help explain the SES differential in the burden of injury and provides opportunities for focusing efforts to address the problem.
Turner
Joseph V
JV
School of Medicine, University of Queensland.
Spallek
Melanie
M
Najman
Jake M
JM
Bain
Christopher
C
Purdie
David M
DM
Nixon
James
J
Scott
Debbie
D
McClure
Roderick
R
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*