[Circumstances of injury in childhood and adolescence. Data and epidemiology]

The population-related aspects of injuries in children and adolescents in Germany using data from different sources were compiled and analyzed. In contrast to clinical case studies, our focus was on risk groups, injury mechanisms, and context of injury. Sources of information used for this study included the following: Causes of Death Statistics, Hospital Diagnosis Statistics, Child and Adolescent Health Survey, Injury Database. Data for the period 1998 to 2008 on unintentional injuries, violence, and suicide were assessed by age group and gender and study results on sociodemographic risk factors were included. The analysis revealed that injuries display an age-specific dynamic: infants carry a high risk for fatal domestic injuries as well as for injuries due to violence, whereas in adolescents the majority of injuries result from fatal traffic injuries and from suicide. In addition, social factors were found to be related to specific mechanisms of injury (e.g., scalds) and intention (e.g., violence) only. Migration status has an age- and gender-related influence on injury rates.