Study on the Risk Factors of Injuries Resulting in Hospitalization in Primary School Students

Abstract

Objective: To develop effective prevention measures against serious injuries in primary school students, the involved factors of serious injuries inside school were surveyed. Methods: Our study examined the data from primary schools of 7 prefectures in Japan. The study period was one year, from April 2007 to March 2008, and the 70,701 cases of school injuries which required medical treatment in medical institution were examined. The involved factors that infl uence hospitalization were investigated by logistic regression analysis. Results: 1) Among the total number of injuries (70,701), 882 (1.2%) cases required hospitalization. 2) The injuries that needed hospitalization occurred the most frequently during recess. 3) Among the 207 cases of hospitalization-required injuries that occurred when the lower grade students were outside the school building in the school area during recess, 134cases (64.7%) happened while they were using playground equipment. The incidence of hospitalization was signifi cantly higher (3.30 fold) than when no playground equipment was in use. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate the importance to implement safety measures related with the use of playground equipment during recess time to prevent serious injuries of students, especially when they are not under the supervision of teachers. Furthermore, it is necessary to guide the lower grade students concerning the risk of fall from playground equipment such as monkey bar and climber.