Background: Interventions to reduce socio-economic inequalities in injury incidence should be tailored to

specific priority areas that may be identified by descriptive studies. We aimed to provide an overview of

exist

Baar, M.E. (Margriet) van

Beeck, E.F. (Ed) van

Hertog, P. (Paul) den

Lenthe, F.J. (Frank) van

Toet, H. (Hidde)

Background: Interventions to reduce socio-economic inequalities in injury incidence should be tailored to

specific priority areas that may be identified by descriptive studies. We aimed to provide an overview of

existing socio-economic inequalities in injury incidence in the Netherlands and to assess the potential

influence of methodological choices on the relationships found.

Methods: Self-reported medically treated injuries (all injuries versus fractures) were derived from a survey

among a random sample of 59 063 persons. Injuries resulting in hospital admissions (all injuries versus

fractures) were derived from a prospective cohort study of 18 810 participants, linked to the National

Hospital Discharge Register for a follow-up period of 7 years. Logistic regression was used to calculate the

odds ratios of self-reported medically treated injuries and fractures by level of education, occupation and

income, and of hospital-admitted injuries by level of education and occupation.

Results: Socio-economic inequalities in injury incidence in the Netherlands were dependent on the indicator of

non-fatal injury incidence, indicator of socio-economic status (SES) and studied cause of injury. In the majority

of specific relations analyzed, injury risks were not or only moderately elevated in lower SES-classes. Analyses

focusing on injury with higher severity levels (admitted injuries and/or admitted fractures) revealed the

steepest SES gradient with odds ratios of injury of 1.5 or more of the lowest socio-economic (educational)

groups compared to persons with higher SES (education). In hospital admitted traffic injuries, we found the

most striking difference with a threefold higher risk in the lowest educational groups.

Conclusion: Future descriptive research into socio-economic differences in injury incidence should include

all three core indicators of SES and separate analyses on the more severe injuries should be conducted

Erasmus University Digital Repository

Socio-economic inequalities in injury incidence in the Netherlands

http://repub.eur.nl/pub/16477/Beeck2006.pdf

Socio-economic inequalities in injury incidence in the Netherlands

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Erasmus University Digital Repository