title: Socio-economic distribution of environmental risk factors for childhood injury.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Queensland.
authors.forename: Joseph V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spallek
authors.forename: Jake M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Najman
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bain
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Purdie
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nixon
authors.forename: Debbie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: Roderick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McClure
mesh_terms: 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*