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Childhood Injury Prevention: Mechanisms of Childhood Injury

Data Sources: Rapid Risk Factor Surveillance System (RRFSS), 2007.

Sample: Residents 18 years and over in the KFL&A area.

Released: December 2008

Common hospitalizations due to injuries in children

Figure A. What respondents think is the most common cause of hospitalization due to injuries in children 0 to 4 years of age in Ontario?

bar chart showing most common cause of hospitalization due to injuries in children 0 to 4 years

*Correct response

Table A. What respondents think is the most common cause of hospitalization due to injuries in children 0 to 4 years of age in Ontario? % (95% Confidence Interval)

Leading Cause of Hospitalization	Adults, 18+
Falls*	54.7% (52.1, 57.3)
Choking or suffocation	2.6% (1.8, 3.4)
Motor vehicle crash	3.4% (2.5, 4.3)
Poisoning	2.8% (1.9, 3.7)
Lack of supervision	4.3% (3.3, 5.3)
Other	13.8% (12.0, 15.6)
Don't know	15.1% (13.3, 16.9)

*Correct response

Interpretation for Figure A

54.7% (52.1, 57.3), of KFL&A area residents think that falls are the most common cause of hospitalization due to injuries in children aged 0 to 4 in Ontario. This is correct.

Reasons children are most likely to drown

Figure B. Respondents' view of how children ages one to four are most likely to drown, KFL&A, 2007.

bar chart showing respondents' view of how children ages 1 to 4 are most likely to drown

*Correct response

Table B. Respondents' view of how children ages one to four are most likely to drown, KFL&A, 2007, % (95% Confidence Interval)
Leading Cause of Hospitalization	Adults, 18+
Bathtub*	41.3% (38.8, 43.8)
Backyard swimming pool	39.2% (36.7, 41.7)
Not sure	19.2% (17.4, 21.4)

*Correct response

Interpretation for Figure B.

41.3% (38.8, 43.8), of KFL&A area residents think that children aged 1 to4 are mostly likely to drown in a bathtub. This is correct.

Reasons children are most likely to be burned

Figure C. Respondents' view of what children ages one to seven are most likely to be burned by, in KFL&A, 2007.

bar chart showing respondents' view of what children ages 1 to 7 are most likely to be burned by

*Correct response

Table C. Respondents' view of what children ages one to seven are most likely to be burned by, in KFL&A, 2007, % (95% Confidence Interval)
Leading Cause of Hospitalization	Adults, 18+
Hot liquid such as a cup of tea*	62.5% (60.0, 65.0)
Flames from a fire such as a candle	14.6% (12.8, 16.4)
Not sure	22.8% (20.6, 25.0)

*Correct response

Interpretation for Figure C

62.5% (60.0, 65.0) of KFL&A area residents think that children aged 1 to 7 are mostly likely to be burned by a hot liquid such as a cup of tea. This is correct.

Reasons children are most likely to be poisoned

Figure D. Respondents' view of how children ages one to four are most likely to be poisoned, in KFL&A, 2007.

bar chart showing respondents' view of how children ages 1 to 4 are most likely to be poisoned

*Correct response

Table D. Respondents' view of how children ages one to four are most likely to be poisoned, KFL&A, 2007, % (95% Confidence Interval)
Leading Cause of Hospitalization	Adults, 18+
Eating vitamins or medications*	35.6% (33.1, 38.1)
Drinking household cleaning products	40.3% (37.8, 42.8)
Not sure	24.0% (22.0, 26.0)

*Correct response

Interpretation for Figure D

40.3% (37.8, 42.8) of KFL&A area residents think that children aged 1 to 7 are mostly likely to be poisoned by household cleaning products. Actually, eating vitamins or medications is the leading cause of poisoning in children 1-7 in Ontario.

Confidence intervals explained

Researchers look at the "confidence levels" of percentages being compared to decide if there is a statistically significant difference between percentages. A statistically significant difference means that:

the difference between two percentages is unlikely to have occurred by chance alone, and
there is a true difference or change in the percentages.

In this report, 95% confidence intervals will accompany each percentage in all figures and tables. This interval represents the range in which we are 95% confident the true percentage will fall within. In tables, the 95% confidence intervals will be written with the percentage, followed by the 95% confidence interval range in brackets (e.g., 25% (12.3, 32.4)). In figures, the 95% confidence interval is represented by vertical bars in each bar line.

Notes

The RRFSS is a random-digit-dialed telephone survey of adults aged 18 years and older, conducted by the Institute for Social Research at York University, on behalf of KFL&A Public Health.