title: Alcohol consumption and injury risk: a case-crossover study in Sydney, Australia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Alcohol contributes to traumatic outcomes that kill or disable at a relatively young age, resulting in the loss of many years of life or disability. Harm from alcohol consumption can result from chronic or acute alcohol use. The aims of this study are to determine the prevalence of alcohol-related injury and contextual factors contributing to injury risk in an ethnically diverse population of Sydney.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was undertaken in emergency departments of six hospitals between 2005 and 2006 and used a case-crossover design. The 1599 attendees surveyed (response rate 64.2%) were aged over 14 years and had presented with an injury to the emergency department.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Attendees were predominantly male, young, 40% spoke a language other than English at home and 17% had been drinking in the 6 h prior to their injury. Those born overseas drank at lower levels than their Australian born counterparts. The risk of sustaining an injury was 1.42 times greater in attendees consuming alcohol compared with those who had not. At very high intake levels (>90 g) the risk of injury was statistically significant for both men and women (men odds ratio: 1.88, 95% confidence interval: 1.46-2.42; women odds ratio: 1.89, 95% confidence interval: 1.04-3.43). Drinking at a licensed premise and drinking alone or with a group of people also significantly increased the risk of injury.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results support current Australian policy concerning alcohol but indicate that further restrictions and increased warnings for the community may be warranted.
authors.affiliation: Health Promotion Service, Sydney South West Area Health Service, Liverpool, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Mandy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohsin
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jalaludin
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Crozier
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult