Injuries among Amish children: opportunities for prevention

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Trauma
• Injury Epidemiology
• Agricultural Safety

Background:

• Amish children face unique injury risks due to agrarian lifestyles and limited healthcare access.
• Understanding injury patterns is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate injury risk patterns in Amish children (≤12 years) presenting to a pediatric trauma center.
• To identify common injury mechanisms, injury severity, and outcomes in this demographic.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of 183 Amish children admitted between 2005 and 2015.
• Data extracted from trauma registry and electronic medical records.
• Descriptive statistics and univariate/multivariate analysis were employed.

Main Results:

• Blunt force trauma accounted for 91.8% of injuries, with falls (42.6%) being the most frequent mechanism.
• Unique injury sources like hay hole falls showed high injury severity scores (ISS).
• Animal-related injuries (15.3%) and falls resulted in the longest lengths of stay (LOS).

Conclusions:

• Falls are the leading cause of injury among Amish children.
• Hay hole falls and animal-related incidents are associated with severe outcomes and prolonged hospitalization.
• Farms represent a critical setting for implementing culturally sensitive injury prevention programs.