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Pediatric Traumatic Injury in Rural and Urban Areas of Wisconsin
Kara J Kallies1, Kirsten M Beyer1, William J Koehne2
1Institute for Health and Humanity, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI.
Pediatric Emergency Care
|March 27, 2026
Summary
Pediatric unintentional injuries show distinct patterns in rural and urban areas, with motor vehicle incidents prevalent in rural settings and firearm injuries in urban-underserved zones. Tailored prevention strategies are crucial for reducing child injury mortality.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatric Injury Prevention
- Geospatial Analysis
Background:
- Unintentional injuries are a leading cause of death in American youth.
- Rural children represent a disproportionately high percentage of injury mortalities despite lower population density.
Purpose of the Study:
- To delineate differences in pediatric injury mechanisms (MOI), severity, and mortality between rural and urban settings.
- To investigate geospatial patterns of pediatric injury burden.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of Wisconsin trauma registry data (2021-2022) for pediatric patients.
- Utilized WI-HIP rural/urban classification for ZIP code categorization.
- Employed geospatial analyses to identify high-injury burden areas.
Main Results:
- Falls were most common in urban areas; motor vehicle/transportation injuries predominated in rural groups.
- Firearm injuries were highest in the urban-underserved group.
- In-hospital mortality was highest in the urban-underserved group (3.2%), with elevated rates in rural areas.
Conclusions:
- Significant differences exist in pediatric injury mechanisms, locations, and trauma center utilization between rural and urban environments.
- Targeted prevention strategies are essential for high-risk rural and urban communities.
- A community-engaged approach is recommended to mitigate pediatric injury rates.
