title: Child road traffic crash injuries at the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa in 1992, 2002 and 2012.
abstract: Road traffic crashes are a significant cause of the disease burden among children, with the highest mortality in low- and middle-income countries. This observational study explores such injuries in Cape Town, South Africa through an analysis of data for cases in 1992, 2002 and 2012 at the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, a referral paediatric hospital for children younger than 13 years. Descriptive and time trend analysis of demographic data as well as of the causes, severity and place of injury was conducted. Logistic regression and generalised linear models described factors influencing hospital admission. In the years 1992, 2002 and 2012, a total of 4690 patients presented with injuries sustained as a result of a road traffic crash. Nearly 50% (n = 2201) of them were between five and nine years of age, with 1.7 males for every female. Three-quarters of those who got injured were pedestrians while the second most commonly injured ones were unrestrained passengers. The majority had minor injuries (58%), but with notably higher proportions with moderate to severe injuries in the years 2002 and 2012. Forty per cent were admitted for inpatient treatment, with the highest proportion (50%) in 2002. Admission was related to mechanism and severity. The epidemiological factors assessed remain largely unchanged over the assessment points calling into question the impact of local safety strategies.
authors.affiliation: a Childsafe South Africa and Department of Pediatric Surgery , Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital , Klipfontein Road, Rondebosch , 7701 Cape Town , South Africa.
authors.forename: Kihurani N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Isaac
authors.affiliation: b Medical Research Council-University of South Africa Safety and Peace Promotion Research Unit; and Institute for Social and Health Sciences , University of South Africa , PO Box 19070, Tygerberg 7505 , Cape Town , South Africa.
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Van Niekerk
authors.affiliation: a Childsafe South Africa and Department of Pediatric Surgery , Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital , Klipfontein Road, Rondebosch , 7701 Cape Town , South Africa.
authors.forename: Arjan Bastiaan
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Van As
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014505:Urban Population
keywords: South Africa; child traffic injury; trauma surveillance