Association of ethnicity with unintentional injury-related hospitalisation and mortality among older people residing in two regions of Aotearoa New Zealand.

OBJECTIVES: To characterise unintentional injury-related hospitalisation and mortality amongst older adults (aged 50+ years) in the Lakes and Bay of Plenty District Health Boards of Aotearoa New Zealand and to examine whether hospitalisation patterns differed by ethnicity. METHODS: This observational study analysed unintentional injury-related hospitalisations and deaths among older adults between 2014 and 2018. Routinely collected national data sets were used to calculate annualised, age-standardised injury rates. The independent variable of interest was ethnicity (Maori or non-Maori). RESULTS: There were 11,834 unintentional injury-related hospitalisations in the study period (n = 1444 for Maori). Overall, there was no significant difference in the age-standardised hospitalisation rate between Maori and non-Maori (Standardised Rate Ratio [SRR] = 0.96 [95% CI 0.90, 1.02]). Falls were the most common mechanism of injury among Maori and non-Maori overall (50% and 71%) and relative risks of falls increased with age. Non-Maori were 57% less likely to be hospitalised for unintentional poisoning than Maori (SRR = 0.43, [0.34, 0.59]). CONCLUSIONS: The mechanisms of injury, and variation in unintentional injury-related hospitalisation rates between Maori and non-Maori, change throughout older age, and incidence increase0073 with age. Falls cause significant injury-related hospitalisations for older Maori and responsive injury prevention and rehabilitation efforts are warranted to achieve equitable health outcomes.

NIH Portfolio of Unintentional Injury Research Among Racial and Ethnic Minority Children: Current Landscape and Future Opportunities.

Unintentional injuries (UIs) caused by accidental suffocation, burns, drowning, falls, poisoning, and motor vehicle accidents are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among children (Dellinger and Gilchrist. Am J Lifestyle Med; 2017). Notable racial and ethnic disparities exist in accidental suffocation among infants and in motor vehicle injuries (MVI) among youth. The purpose of this study is to examine the National Institutes of Health's funded research projects addressing UIs, using a socioecological framework, and to determine whether funded projects align with key priorities for unintentional injuries among racial and ethnic minorities as identified by the research community. Between 2011 and 2018, a total of 130 grants that examined UIs were identified, thirty-four of which focused on UI research among children. Of those 34 grants, eight focused on UIs among racial and ethnic minority children. The analyses suggest four areas of opportunities, where more research is needed to (1) prevent accidental suffocation among American Indians and Alaska Natives; (2) strengthen the role of the health care sector to prevent UIs; (3) promote the use of an integrative multilevel social ecological approach to characterize UIs and help shape interventions; and (4) promote the collection and dissemination of local injury-specific data to develop interventions in community settings. Identifying gaps and opportunities for reducing the health burden of UI among racial and ethnic minorities can inform prevention efforts and guide the development of interventions that target these populations.

Racial/Ethnic Disparities in the Relationship of Alcohol-Related Injury and Perceived Driving Under the Influence from Hours of Exposure to High Blood Alcohol Concentration: Data From Four US National Alcohol Surveys (2000-2015).

AIMS: To analyze racial/ethnic disparities in risk of two alcohol-related events, alcohol-related injury and self-reported perceived driving under the influence (DUI) from hours of exposure to an elevated blood alcohol concentration (BAC). METHODS: Risk curves for the predicted probability of these two outcomes from the number of hours of exposure to a BAC ≥ 0.08 mg% in the past year were analyzed separately for whites, blacks and Hispanics in a merged sample of respondents from four US National Alcohol Surveys (2000-2015). RESULTS: Hours of exposure to a BAC ≥ 0.08 showed a stronger association with perceived DUI than with alcohol-related injury for all racial/ethnic groups. Greater risk was found for whites than blacks or Hispanics for outcomes at nearly all BAC exposure levels, and most marked at the highest level of exposure. Risk of both outcomes was significant for whites at all exposure levels, but small for alcohol-related injury. Little association was found for alcohol-related injury for blacks or Hispanics. For perceived DUI, risk for blacks was significantly elevated at lower levels of exposure, while risk for Hispanics was significantly elevated beginning at 30 h of exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Findings showed racial/ethnic differences in risk of alcohol-related injury and perceived DUI from hours of exposure to elevated BAC. Risk increased at relatively low levels of exposure to a BAC ≥ 0.08, especially for whites, highlighting the importance of preventive efforts to reduce harmful outcomes for moderate drinkers.

Racial Differences in Hospitalizations Due to Injuries in South Dakota Children and Adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: To determine racial differences and trends in pediatric injury hospitalization rates in a rural state. METHODS: Hospital inpatient discharge data (2009-2014) for South Dakota residents aged 0-19 years were used to calculate annual hospitalization rates due to injuries. Race-, age-, and sex-specific rates were calculated, and trends over time were determined. RESULTS: Between 2009 and 2014, there were 3701 pediatric hospitalizations (1008 American Indian [AI]; 2303 white) due to injuries at an average rate of 269/100,000 (95% CI 260-280/100,000). Injury hospitalization rates were higher for AI than white children (532 vs. 213 per 100,000, respectively; p < 0.001). Rates for both AI and white children increased between 2009 and 2014 (both, p < 0.001). Suicide attempts were the predominant manner of injury in both the 10-14- and 15-19-year age groups, with AI adolescents having 3.5 and 3.2 times higher rates than white adolescents. Among AI adolescents aged 15 to 19 years, hospitalizations due to homicide-related injuries were 12.6 times higher than that of white children. Injury hospitalization rates among females recently exceeded that of males, due primarily to an increase in attempted suicides. Mechanism and nature of hospitalized injuries were consistent with the high rate of suicide-related admissions. CONCLUSION: South Dakota AI children have disproportionately higher hospitalization rates due to unintentional and attempted suicide- and homicide-related injuries, and the rate differences between AI and white children are increasing over time. Injury hospitalization rates among females have increased more rapidly and recently surpassed that of males.