Title: Falls from playground equipment: will the new Australian playground safety standard make a difference and how will we tell?
Abstract: Health Promotion Journal of AustraliaVolume 18, Issue 2 p. 98-104 Falls from playground equipment: will the new Australian playground safety standard make a difference and how will we tell? Rebecca Mitchell, Rebecca MitchellSearch for more papers by this authorShauna Sherker, Shauna SherkerSearch for more papers by this authorMargaret Cavanagh, Margaret CavanaghSearch for more papers by this authorDavid Eager, David EagerSearch for more papers by this author Rebecca Mitchell, Rebecca MitchellSearch for more papers by this authorShauna Sherker, Shauna SherkerSearch for more papers by this authorMargaret Cavanagh, Margaret CavanaghSearch for more papers by this authorDavid Eager, David EagerSearch for more papers by this author First published: 01 August 2007 https://doi.org/10.1071/HE07098Citations: 5AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Abstract Issue addressed This study describes the trend in incidence of hospitalised falls from playground equipment of children aged 14 years or less in New South Wales (NSW) and considers the potential effectiveness of playground safety standards in reducing the impact of playground-related injuries. Method Hospitalisations of children aged 14 years or less following a fall from playground equipment were identified from the NSW hospitalisation data for the financial years 1992/93 to 2003/04 and described. Results During 1992/93 to 2003/04 there were 16,828 hospitalisations of children aged 0–14 years as a result of a fall from playground equipment, at a rate of 106.6 per 100,000 children. The incidence of hospitalisation increased from 83.3 to 130.3 per 100,000 children between 1992/93 to 2003/04. Males aged 5–9 years had the highest rate of hospitalisation at 198.4 per 100,000 children. Injury type varied by age group, but injuries to the elbow and forearm were common for all age groups. The rate of upper limb fractures that resulted in hospitalisation increased, while the rate of serious head injuries decreased. Conclusions While severe head injuries have declined between 1992/93 to 2003/04, the increasing trend of upper limb fractures is of concern. Many factors need to be taken into account to assess the effectiveness of playground safety standards. The collection of exposure data is also crucial to be able to calculate the true risk associated with childhood falls from playground equipment. So what? A reduction in serious head injury is evident in NSW playgrounds. The next most serious and costly playground injury – upper limb fracture – should be the focus of future injury prevention initiatives. The Australian Standard for Playground Equipment should be refined to minimise the risk of upper limb fracture. Future evaluations of playground injury countermeasures should be prospective in nature, ideally involving a randomised control trial. Citing Literature Volume18, Issue22007Pages 98-104 RelatedInformation
Publication Year: 2007
Publication Date: 2007-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
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Cited By Count: 23
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