Comparative head trauma experiences in two socioeconomically different Chicago-area communities: a population study

Abstract

Although a few epidemiologic studies of head injuries have appeared recently, none have examined the incidence, causes and risk factors for an inner city environment. To overcome this deficiency, the authors visited 35 hospitals and the Office of the Medical Examiner and abstracted data from every chart that described a head injury that had been sustained during a 12-month interval by residents of either of two Chicago-area communities: one located in the inner city, comprised almost entirely of blacks; the other the city of Evanston, a Chicago suburb, about 21% black and 75% white. Denominators came from the 1980 Census. Age-adjusted incidence rates, per 100,000 population, were 403 for the inner city community, 394 for Evanston blacks and 196 for Evanston whites. In each race-community category, males were about 2.5 times more likely than females to sustain a head injury. Mortality rates from head trauma were 32 for the inner city community, 19 for Evanston blacks and 11 for Evanston whites. The leading cause of head trauma and death from head trauma was interpersonal attacks for the inner city residents and vehicle accidents for Evanston residents. Community differences, revealed in this study, and in a comparison of this study with previous reports, are discussed. Finally, methodological differences among these studies are examined in an effort to determine which differences in results reflect actual differences in head trauma experience.