School-injury patterns: a tool for safety planning at the school and community levels

This study analyses surveillance data on school injuries. Its aim is to create a typology of injury characteristics and circumstances specifically designed to elaborate safety strategies. Seven variables describing aspects of 1260 school injuries registered in a 1 year community survey were analysed simultaneously using, in sequence, the factorial analysis of correspondence (FAC) and the hierarchical ascendant classification (HAC). Relationships between injury pattern and injured pupils' school grade and gender were measured. A typology comprising five injury patterns was obtained and significant relationships were found between injury pattern and both school grade and gender. The construction of an injury typology by means of methods similar to those employed in the current study may prove of great benefit in the context of school injury prevention. Such benefit might accrue to both decision-makers concerned with setting of priorities and persons in this environment.