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Risk of upper limb injury in left handed children: a study in Greece
A Skalkidou1, E Petridou, N Dessypris
1Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Athens University Medical School, Greece.
Insights
Left-handed children show a moderately increased risk for upper limb injuries, with a tendency for these injuries to recur. This finding suggests a potential link between left-handedness and injury risk, particularly in cultures favoring right-handedness.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric injury epidemiology
- Childhood developmental factors
- Handedness and injury risk
Background:
- Left-handedness is common in childhood, but its association with injury risk remains debated.
- Understanding factors contributing to childhood injuries is crucial for prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if left-handed children face a higher risk of injuries, specifically focusing on upper limb injuries.
- To explore potential associations between left-handedness and injury recurrence.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 129 children (4-14 years) with upper limb injuries and matched controls.
- Data collected included sociodemographic variables, hand preference, and activity scores.
- Potential confounders such as father's age, crowding index, and activity score were controlled.
Main Results:
- Left-handed children exhibited a moderately increased risk of upper limb injuries.
- A tendency for recurrence of upper limb injuries was observed in left-handed children.
- Increased injury risk was also associated with younger fathers, while higher activity scores and crowding indices showed an inverse relationship.
Conclusions:
- The study offers limited evidence supporting the hypothesis that left-handed children are at increased risk for injury.
- Any excess risk appears to be context-dependent, possibly influenced by cultural norms favoring right-handedness.
Objectives:
To investigate whether left handed children are at increased risk for injuries, particularly upper limb injuries.
Setting:
Athens, Greece, during a six month period in 1995-96.
Methods:
Cases were 129 children 4-14 years old with unintentional upper limb injuries from a population based injury database. Two control children matched for gender and age were selected from among those seen at the same medical institution for minor, non-injury ailments. On the basis of information provided by the children and their guardians, sociodemographic variables were recorded, hand preference was assessed, and each child's activity score was calculated through an abbreviated version of Achenbach's scale.
Results:
Left handed children have a moderately increased upper limb injury risk with a tendency of recurrence of this injury. The risk of upper limb injury is also raised among children of young fathers, whereas it appears to be inversely related to crowding index and activity score--three variables that were controlled for as potential confounders.
Conclusions:
This study provides limited support for the hypothesis that left handed children are at increased risk for injury. The excess risk, if genuine, is likely to be limited to cultural settings in which right handedness is perceived as the norm.