title: Gender and injury in Finnish comprehensive schools.
abstract: The aim of this study is to analyze the gender differences in injuries at Finnish comprehensive schools. Nine schools reported a total of 1135 injuries to the injury register over two school years. Boys (56%) were injured more often than girls, their injuries happened more often during breaks at school yard, whereas girls hurt themselves during sport lectures in the gymnastic halls. The proportion of boys' injuries also increased with age. More often, boys' injuries were caused by intentional actions by other pupils. Girls injured their lower extremities more often, whereas boys injured their faces and head. Boys also suffered concussion more often than girls, and were also referred for further care to health care centres or hospitals more often than girls. The higher injury frequency among boys at school corresponds to the higher injury rate of males in general, which is true for work, traffic, and leisure-time injuries. Increased adult supervisor control especially during breaks can prevent most of school injuries.
authors.affiliation: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Occupational Safety, Topeliuksenkatu 41a A, Helsinki, Finland. simo.salminen@ttl.fi
authors.forename: Simo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salminen
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lounamaa
authors.forename: Marja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurenniemi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010988:Play and Playthings / Q000293:injuries*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012572:School Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices