Playground injury prevention: the need for consistent and national implementation of Australian safety standards.
Aust N Z J Public Health
; 47(2): 100023, 2023 Apr.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36906999
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
Hospitalisation rates for injury, including at playgrounds, have not changed in the past decade. There are nine Australian Standards specific to playgrounds. The impact (if any) of these standards on playground injury resulting in hospitalisation is unknown.METHODS:
Retrospective data for patients under 18 years presenting to emergency departments and/or admitted between October 2015 and December 2019 due to an injury documented as occurring at a playground were retrieved by the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District Planning, Information and Performance Department. Maintenance and Australian Standard (AS) compliance data for the 401 local playgrounds were requested from the four Local Governments in Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District. Descriptive statistics were used.RESULTS:
A total of 548 children were treated in emergency departments and/or admitted following playground injury. There was an overall increase of 39.3% in playground injury across the study period, and expenditure rose from $43,478 in 2011 to $367,259 in 2019 (a 744.7% increase).CONCLUSIONS:
Playground injury has not decreased in the Illawarra Shoalhaven. Data regarding maintenance and AS compliance are lacking. This is not unique to our region. IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH Without a national approach to adequately resource and monitor playground injury, it is not possible to assess the impact of Australian Standards or any injury prevention program.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Play and Playthings
/
Wounds and Injuries
Type of study:
Observational_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Child
/
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Oceania
Language:
En
Journal:
Aust N Z J Public Health
Journal subject:
SAUDE PUBLICA
Year:
2023
Document type:
Article