Injuries of school-aged children in Japan: causes and costs

Injuries of school-aged children were presented from several data sources. About 80,000 schools, from nurseries to upper secondary schools, operate in Japan and are attended by 24.3 million students. About 97% of these young people are insured by the insurance system of the School Safety Division of the National Stadium and School Health Center of Japan. Annual injuries and illnesses total 1.08 million, 1039 cases being impedimentary and 191 causing death. The average incidence of injury and illness is 4.6%, a rate that has been increasing every year since 1960. The activity at the time of injury, the impairment incurred, and the part of the body injured differ with the type of school and depend mainly on the developmental stage of the child. Minor injuries occur at the rate of about 47 cases in elementary schools and 14 in lower secondary schools versus one benefit-applied injury at a school safety center. The cost of injuries under the control of schools totaled US$124 million per year in 1990. The average amount of benefits per injured student per month was US$63.