OBJECTIVES:

To compare epidemiologic characteristics of unintentional injuries among children and adolescents in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Canada.

STUDY DESIGN:

A comparative population-based study of unintentional injuries among individuals 0-19 years was conducted among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities in NL.

METHODS:

The provincial hospital discharge and mortality data were analyzed for a 6-year period, April 1995 to March 2001. Rates and rate ratios related to hospital discharge and mortality due to unintentional injuries were calculated to assess variation of rates. The 2-independent sample binomial proportion test was used to compare rates between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities.

RESULTS:

The overall hospital discharge rates of unintentional injury in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities were 1,132.0 and 614.2 per 100,000 population, respectively (p(2)<0.001). For both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities, the rate among males was higher than that of females (p(2)<0.001). The mortality rate was found to be higher in Aboriginal communities than non-Aboriginal communities (84.3 vs. 10.2 per 100,000 population) (p(2)<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS:

The rate of unintentional injury among children and adolescents in Aboriginal communities is higher than non-Aboriginal communities. Sex (male) and place of residence (Aboriginal communities) were strong predictors of unintentional injury in NL.