Pediatric Trauma Mortality Differs by Neighborhood Opportunity Level

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatric Trauma
• Socioeconomic Factors

Background:

• Traumatic injuries are a significant cause of death in children.
• Neighborhood characteristics are identified as potential risk factors for pediatric trauma.
• The Child Opportunity Index (COI) measures neighborhood resources crucial for child development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between pediatric trauma mortality and the Child Opportunity Index (COI).
• To analyze how neighborhood opportunity levels correlate with the incidence of child trauma deaths.
• To explore variations in injury mechanisms across different COI quintiles.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective, multicenter cross-sectional study analyzed data from 15 trauma centers (2010-2021).
• Pediatric trauma activations (<18 years) and mortality data were extracted from the county trauma registry.
• Home zip codes were linked to COI, and mortality proportions were compared across COI quintiles.

Main Results:

• Out of 31,702 pediatric trauma activations, 513 (1.6%) resulted in mortality.
• A disproportionately higher percentage of mortalities occurred in very low (47.6%) and low (20.9%) COI neighborhoods.
• Assaults were more prevalent in lower COI neighborhoods, while self-inflicted injuries were more common in higher COI neighborhoods.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric trauma mortality is significantly higher in neighborhoods with lower opportunity levels.
• The mechanisms of fatal pediatric trauma differ based on neighborhood opportunity.
• Findings highlight the need to address socioeconomic disparities in preventing child trauma deaths.