Injury in Canadian youth: A secondary analysis of the 1993-94 health behaviour in school-aged children survey

Objectives: 1) To describe patterns of injury among Canadian youth, and 2) to explore whether injured youth can be characterized by adverse lifestyle factors. Design: Secondary analysis of the Canadian 1993-94 Health Behaviour in Scho ol-Aged Children Survey (youth enrolled in grades 6, 8 and 10). Primary Outcome: Physical injuries that occurred in the twelve months prior to survey. Results: Each year, 36% of these Canadian youth experience at least one inj ury. Risks vary by grade, gender and cause of injury. When extrapolated to the Canadian population, more than 600,000 injuries are experienced by yout h annually. Sports injuries and accidental falls were leading contexts of i njury. There was only limited evidence to suggest that high-risk youth can be characterized by adverse lifestyle behaviours. Conclusions: Injuries to youth are a major public health problem. Ongoing s urveillance is required in Canada. Future editions of this survey will, in pat, address this need.