Abstract

Objective: To compare the differential implications of sociodemographic and situational factors on the risk of injury among disabled and non-disabled children.

Design: Data from the Emergency Department Injury Surveillance System (EDISS) were used to compare, in a quasi case-control approach, injured children with or without disability with respect to sociodemographic, event and injury variables, and to estimate adjusted odds ratios for the injury in a disabled rather than a non-disabled child.

Setting: Two teaching hospitals in Athens and two district hospitals in the countryside that participate in the EDISS.

Patients: In the five year period 1996–2000, 110 066 children were recorded with injuries; 251 among them were identified as having a motor/psychomotor or sensory disability before the injury event.

Interventions: None.

Main outcome measures: Mechanism of injury, type of injury, risk-predisposing socioeconomic and environmental variables, odds ratio for injury occurrence.

Results: Falls and brain concussion are proportionally more common among disabled children, whereas upper limb and overexertion injuries are less common among them. Urban environment, migrant status, and cold months are also associated with increased odds for injuries to occur among disabled rather than non-disabled children. The odds ratio for the occurrence of an injury among disabled children increases with increasing age.

Conclusions: The results of the study provide the information for the targeting of trials of preventive measure in disabled children at increased risk of severe injuries.