Accidents Among Kindergarten Students in Metropolitan France in 2012–2013: A School-Based Survey
This report describes accidents involving children in the final year of preschool (GSM), most of whom are 6 years old, based on a school-based survey conducted in 2012–2013. Accident incidence rates were calculated, the circumstances of the accidents and their consequences were described, and risk factors were identified. In total, among the 17,487 children surveyed, 4% had been involved in an accident during the previous three months: 4.3% of boys and 3.2% of girls. Most of these accidents, 98%, were accidents of daily life (AcVC), while 2% were traffic accidents. LDAs occurred primarily at home (46%); they were mostly falls (65%); the head was involved in 57% of cases; and injuries were predominantly lacerations (44%) and fractures (20%). Nearly two-thirds of those injured sought emergency care, and 4% were hospitalized. Multivariate analysis identified several factors associated with accident risk: being male, obesity, or being overweight were aggravating factors, whereas attending school in a Priority Education Zone (ZEP) and having hearing impairments were protective factors. The 2012–2013 survey was conducted among GSM students using the same method and questions as in 2005–2006. The comparison across a 7-year interval shows a high degree of similarity in the results. The only differences appear in the multivariate analysis: the risk factors identified in 2012–2013, except for gender, were not found in 2005–2006. Conversely, factors present in the 2005–2006 survey were not found in 2012–2013: the fact that mothers were not manual laborers, a higher number of siblings, a greater number of hours spent playing outdoors, and fewer hours spent in front of a screen—all of which are linked to a higher incidence of accidents. This school-based survey of 5- to 6-year-olds highlights the importance of adult supervision, particularly in the home (where most non-fatal accidents occur at this age). At this pivotal age, when children are learning to read, write, and count—and thus becoming more independent—they are in fact still entirely dependent on the close supervision that adults must provide to prevent them from being injured.
Author(s): Paget LM, Perrine AL, Thelot B
Publishing year: 2015
Pages: 42 p.
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