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Epidemiology of exercise equipment-related injuries to young children
Ches S Jones1, Jeanne Freeman, Tina M Penhollow
1University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA. ches@uark.edu
Insights
Exercise equipment causes thousands of injuries to young children annually. Most injuries affect the head and limbs, with lacerations and fractures being common diagnoses requiring emergency room treatment.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric emergency medicine
- Consumer product safety
Background:
- Exercise equipment poses significant injury risks to young children.
- Home-based exercise equipment is a common source of pediatric injuries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the types, causes, and epidemiology of exercise equipment-related injuries in children under 5 years old.
- To analyze emergency room data for pediatric injuries associated with exercise equipment.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database.
- Analysis of data for children aged 4 years and younger from 1994 to 2001.
- Inclusion of 1679 children treated in US emergency rooms.
Main Results:
- An estimated 46,440 exercise equipment-related injuries occurred in children 4 and under between 1994-2001.
- Annual injury rate was 28.32 per 100,000 children.
- Head, foot, and hand injuries were most common; lacerations, soft tissue injuries, fractures, and amputations required hospitalization.
Conclusions:
- Children's exposure to home exercise equipment can lead to severe injuries.
- Increased parental awareness regarding exercise equipment hazards is crucial.
- Focus on preventing head and limb injuries in young children is recommended.
Objectives:
The objective of this study was to describe and identify the type, cause, and epidemiology of injuries related to exercise equipment to children younger than 5 years reported to US emergency rooms.
Methods:
A retrospective review of data for children 4 years old and younger from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission for the years 1994 to 2001 was conducted. A total of 1679 children were identified obtaining treatment at a participating emergency room.
Results:
There were an estimated 46,440 exercise equipment-related injuries (95% confidence interval, 38,081-55,079 injuries) to children 4 years old and younger treated in hospital emergency departments in the United States during the 8-year study period. The annual rate of injury among children was 28.32 per 100,000. Most injuries involved the head, foot, and hand regions. Injury diagnosis included lacerations (49%), soft tissue injuries (29%), and fractures and dislocations (9%). Most hospital admissions were for amputations (36%), fractures (34%), and lacerations (20%).
Conclusions:
Injuries can result from children's exposure to exercise equipment in the home. Parental awareness of the dangers of home-based exercise equipment and the potential hazards of exercise equipment-related injuries on the limbs and head region is recommended.
