Geospatial Patterns of Pediatric and Adult Injury in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin

Determining concentrations of injury can guide responses to priority areas; understanding the intersection of pediatric and adult injury informs community-based interventions. We aimed to compare geospatial patterns of injury in Milwaukee County for children and adults.

Trauma registry data from Milwaukee County's level I pediatric and adult trauma centers were queried from 2016 to 2022. Injury addresses were geocoded for children (n = 1979) and adults (n = 10,607) who resided in and sustained injuries in Milwaukee County by fall, firearm, and motor vehicle crash mechanisms. Hotspots were calculated by mechanism within each population, then compared. Temporal patterns were analyzed.

Children and adults had similar locations for firearm injuries (global similarity value = 0.67). Motor vehicle crashes were less concordant (0.598), and falls were disparate (0.163). Child and adult firearm hotspots coincided with motor vehicle crash hotspots. Fall injuries increased in the pediatric (r2 = 0.64, P = 0.02) and adult registries (r2 = 0.80, P = 0.006) over time. Likewise, firearm injuries increased in children (r2 = 0.68, P = 0.02) and adults (r2 = 0.58, P = 0.04). Motor vehicle crashes in adults increased (r2 = 0.57, P = 0.04), but not in children (r2 = 0.18, P = 0.33).

Consistent injury hotspots exist for firearm-injured children and adults, with overlap in motor vehicle crash and firearm injury hotspots. There is a need for public health intervention to foster safer communities. This is the first geospatial comparison of injury across pediatric and adult populations in Milwaukee County.