141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

286881
Skateboarding-related injuries among males 35-55 years old in the United States

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Ches Jones, PhD , Community Health Promotion, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
Bart Hammig, PhD, MPH , Community Health Promotion, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
Jean Henry, PhD , Community Health Promotion, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
Background/Purpose Skateboarding is a popular activity among teenagers and young adults. However, the activity has been increasing in popularity among older adults the past 10 years. It is not clear if injuries related to skateboarding have also been increasing among older males. The purpose of this study was to review emergency room reports to determine rates of skateboarding-related injuries among older males in the US over the past 10 years. Methods The data for the study was obtained from NEISS using product code 1333 (skateboards). Analysis reviewed cases only involving males 35-55 years of age from the years 2000 through 2009. Statistical procedures included descriptive analysis and chi-square to determine significant factors related to injury. Narrative reports were reviewed to investigate potential cause of injury. Results/Outcomes An estimated total of 29,450 reports were documents in NEISS. A majority of the injuries occurred to males 35-40 (55%), who were white (72%). Common locations for injury were the home, street, and place of recreation. Body regions injured were the hand, arm, and upper trunk. The head region was noted in 15% of reports. The most common diagnoses were fractures (40%) and soft tissue injuries (36%). Conclusions Results note that fractures are a concern for this age group as well as the number of injuries affecting the head region. Future studies should review skill levels and previous injuries to appropriately estimate risk of skateboarding for older males.

Learning Areas:
Epidemiology
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
List three potential causes of injuries related to skateboarding among older males. Identify the two primary concerns related to skateboarding injuries among older males. Discuss two areas recommended for future research on skateboarding-related injuries among older males.

Keywords: Injury Risk, Male Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have conducted injury related research for over 20 years.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.