[Unintentional injuries among children and adolescents in Germany. Data sources and results]

Abstract

Compared to adults, children and adolescents run a considerably higher risk of suffering unintentional injuries (UI). To prevent UI, detailed knowledge of the overall accident occurrence and the determinants of UI is needed. This article gives an overview of the data sources covering the occurrence of UI among children and adolescents in Germany. According to the Robert Koch Institute's German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS), approximately 15.3 % of children and adolescents (1-17 years) in Germany suffer at least one UI within 12 months. Most accidents (60.7 %) occur at home or during leisure-time activities. In 2011, the German Statutory Accident Insurance (DGUV) registered more than 1.4 million accidents among children in day-care facilities and students in educational institutions. According to official statistics, in the same year, more than 50,000 children and adolescents were injured in traffic accidents. Moreover, the Federal Statistical Office registered 260,534 hospital admissions due to injuries and poisonings among children and adolescents. All data sources revealed age- and sex-specific differences. Boys suffer UI more frequently than girls do and they show higher injury rates in adolescence than during childhood. While UI among children mostly happen at home, road traffic and leisure-time accidents increase in occurrence during adolescence. In Germany, there are numerous initiatives dedicated to the prevention of UI in children and adolescents. The creation of target group-specific prevention measures is complicated by the fact that the methodological approaches of existing data sources differ considerably.