SPORTS INJURIES IN SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN - A STUDY OF TRAUMATOLOGIC AND SOCIOECONOMIC OUTCOME

In this Danish study we attempted to identify the socioeconomic conseq uences of sports injuries in children. A total of 1320 children, 650 b oys and 670 girls, aged 6 - 17, completed questionnaires covering the period from the injury to recovery. The incidence rate was 74 per 1000 per year. The hospitalization rate was 4.1 %. Due to the injury 37.2 % of the children were absent from school for an average of 1.2 days ( range 0 - 60 days), resulting in 1598 days' absence from school. Most of the children were injured during training (34.7 %) or competition ( 22.6 %). The other injuries occurred during recreational sporting acti vities (32.0 %) or at school (10.7 %). Fifty-four percent were absent from training or games, on average 6.0 times (range 0 - 99), with a to tal loss of 7897 training sessions. Fifteen percent of the parents wer e absent from work, on average for 2.2 days. Two hundred and nineteen children were absent from an after-school job, for an average of 8.6 d ays. The total loss was 1896 working days. The study shows that the so cioeconomic consequences of sports injuries in children are a complex consisting of different parts and that the injuries had a substantial impact on the functional and social status of the children and their f amilies.