HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER		Author Keyword(s) Vol Page [Advanced]

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Add article to my folders Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bancej, C Articles by Arbuckle, T Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Bancej, C Articles by Arbuckle, T

Injuries in Ontario farm children: a population based study

¹ Bureau of Reproductive and Child Health, Laboratory Centre for Disease Control, Health Canada and Cancer Bureau, Prevention Division, Laboratory Centre for Disease Control, Health Canada
² Bureau of Reproductive and Child Health, Laboratory Centre for Disease Control, Health Canada

Correspondence to:
Dr Tye E Arbuckle, Bureau of Reproductive and Child Health, Laboratory Centre for Disease Control/HPB, HPB Building #7, 1st floor, Tunney's Pasture, P-L 0701D, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0L2, Canada
(e-mail: Tye_Arbuckle{at}hc-sc.gc.ca)

Objectives—To evaluate injury rates, patterns, and risk factors in 4916 Ontario farm children aged 0–18 years.

Setting—1765 full time family operated Ontario farms with a husband-wife couple where the wife was of reproductive age.

Methods—Injury details were obtained from mothers, while parents and farm operators provided risk factor information retrospectively in a population based mail survey. Rates were calculated based on injury occurrence and person years at risk in different age groups. Descriptive analyses used cross tabulations of injury details by age, sex, and season. Injury risk factors were assessed using multiple logistic regression.

Results—Age specific injury rates ranged from 6.3–22.6 per thousand person years, peaking in 1–4 year olds. Although consistently higher for boys, both sexes showed similar trends in age specific rates. Rates likely represent underestimates due to diminished recall of past events. Open wounds to the head/face region were the most prevalent type of injury (17.1%) followed by fractures/dislocations to the upper extremities (14.9%). Mechanism differed by age group, though falls and machinery consistently ranked in the top three. Occurrence peaked in summer.

Regression analyses indicated child's sex and parental education were associated with injury risk across age categories. Other risk factors, such as numbers of livestock, parental owner/operator status, and mother's off-site employment, differed between ages.

Conclusions—Patterns and risk factors for injuries to farm children are heterogenous across age categories. Observed age differences are useful for targeting prevention initiatives.

Keywords: agriculture; epidemiology; farm injury

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Larson-Bright, S. G Gerberich, B. H Alexander, J. G Gurney, A. S Masten, T. R Church, A. D Ryan, and C. M Renier Work practices and childhood agricultural injury Inj. Prev., December 1, 2007; 13(6): 409 - 415. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]