Neighbourhood social and socio‐economic composition andinjury risks

Abstract

To investigate whether social and socio-economic characteristics of the population within a parish influence childhood injury. The study encompasses all children aged 0-15 y living in Stockholm County over the 3-y period 1999-2001 (about 360,000 children per year), grouped into parish of residence (138 parishes). The effect of parish attributes on injury rate were analysed based on three indices (deprivation, socio-economic status and social integration) derived by a factor analysis of 11 characteristics of the parishes' population, each index being split into three levels. Childhood injury resulting in at least one night of hospitalization during the period 1999-2001 was considered (n = 5540) by index, and rate ratios were calculated for 12 injury causes using parishes forming the best level of the index as the reference group. Higher levels of deprivation negatively influenced pedestrian injury rates, had a protective effect on other traffic-related injuries, and negatively affected some other types of unintentional injuries. Higher concentrations of people with low socio-economic status did not impact on the risk of traffic and fall injuries, but increased that of burns/scalds and cases of poisoning. Parishes with lower levels of social integration had significantly higher rates of bicycle- and moped-related injuries, and also of self-inflicted ones. Compositional characteristics of the population in a residential area affect injury to varying degrees and direction according to type of injury. The underlying mechanisms are likely to be specific to injury type.