Unintentional injuries among children and adolescents in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
OBJECTIVE
To compare epidemiologic characteristics of unintentional injuries among children and adolescents in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Canada.


METHODS
A comparative population-based study of unintentional injuries among individuals 0-19 years was conducted among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities in NL.


METHODS
The provincial hospital discharge and mortality data were analyzed for a 6-year period, April 1995 to March 2001. Rates and rate ratios related to hospital discharge and mortality due to unintentional injuries were calculated to assess variation of rates. The 2-independent sample binomial proportion test was used to compare rates between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities.


RESULTS
The overall hospital discharge rates of unintentional injury in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities were 1,132.0 and 614.2 per 100,000 population, respectively (p(2)<0.001). For both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities, the rate among males was higher than that of females (p(2)<0.001). The mortality rate was found to be higher in Aboriginal communities than non-Aboriginal communities (84.3 vs. 10.2 per 100,000 population) (p(2)<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The rate of unintentional injury among children and adolescents in Aboriginal communities is higher than non-Aboriginal communities. Sex (male) and place of residence (Aboriginal communities) were strong predictors of unintentional injury in NL.
Alaghehbandan
Reza
R
Research and Evaluation Department, Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information, St. John's, NL A1B 2C7, Canada. reza.alaghehbandan@nlchi.nl.ca
Sikdar
Khokan C
KC
MacDonald
Don
D
Collins
Kayla D
KD
Rossignol
Annette M
AM
D000059:Accidents / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D004930:Inuit / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D009523:Newfoundland and Labrador / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality