Determining the burden of non-fatal childhood injury in New York City (NYC): An application of the 2009 NYC Child Health Survey

Background: Non-fatal injury is a leading cause of hospital use among New York City (NYC) children. However the full burden of non-fatal injuries remains unknown as many injured children do not receive hospital care and thus are not captured by hospital data systems. To obtain a more accurate picture of non-fatal childhood injury, 2009 NYC Community Health Survey-Child Supplement (CHS-CS) data were analyzed. Methods: The dual-framed, random-digit dial CHS-CS of 3,002 households included an injury module administered to adult respondents living in households with children 6-12 years old. Responses determined non-fatal injury prevalence, location, and mechanism for the three months prior to survey administration. CHS-CS data were compared to hospital discharge data to assess survey data quality. Results: Approximately 1 in 10 children 6-12 years old were injured in the past three months, translating to an estimated population burden of 67,000 children. The vast majority (N=55,000, 83%) did not receive hospital treatment; 800 were hospitalized and 10,000 received emergency department care. Injuries most commonly occurred outside (N=51,000, 77%). The most frequently reported mechanism was falls (N=39,000, 60%). Comparisons to hospital discharge data found no significant difference between injury hospitalization rates and treatment reported in the CHS-CS, thus supporting the validity of survey data. Discussion/Conclusion: Injuries pose a large health burden on NYC's children. Survey data such as the NYC CHS-CS can help child safety professionals obtain a more robust picture of injuries than is typically available from hospital data and inform policy designed to reduce child injury risk.