Unintentional injuries among youth with developmental disabilities in the United States, 2006–2007

Abstract

We examined unintentional injury among youth with and without developmental disabilities. Our nationally representative sample included 6369 injured youth, aged 0–17 years, who were seen in one of the 63 US hospital emergency rooms that participated in the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System – All Injury Program (NEISS-AIP) in 2006–2007. Parents or guardians of injured youth were interviewed by telephone after the hospital visit to ascertain disability status. Denominator data were obtained from the National Health Interview Survey. Leading causes of injury were comparable for youth with and without disability. Injury rates (per 100 youth per year) were also comparable [10.4; 95% confidence interval (CI) 7.8, 13.0 and 10.5; 95% CI 8.2, 12.9, for youth with and without disability, respectively]. When examined by specific disability, the rate ratio for youth with learning disabilities versus youth without learning disability was 1.57 (95% CI 1.04, 2.10), which may represent a subgroup for targeted interventions.

Keywords:

• injury
• developmental disability
• learning disability

Acknowledgements

All aspects of research were supported by the Intramural Research Program, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD). This work was funded through an interagency agreement between the NICHD and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (Interagency Agreement numbers Y1-HD-6001-02 and CPSC-IAG-061180). Parts of this analysis were prepared by the US CPSC staff. It has not been reviewed or approved by, and may not necessarily reflect the views of, the commission.