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Injury in First Nations Communities in Ontario

  • Quantitative Research
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Abstract

Background: High and variable rates of injury have been reported in Aboriginal communities in Canada. This has not been well studied for specific injury types. We sought to compare the rate and categories of injuries leading to hospital admission among those in First Nations communities relative to those living in small northern and southern communities in Ontario.

Methods: Administrative data were used to define the study populations. The incidence of all-cause injury and specific injury categories for residents living in Ontario’s Aboriginal communities (N=28,816) was determined for 2004 using hospital discharge data. Comparisons were made with residents of small communities in northern (N=211,834) and southern Ontario (N=650,002). Age- and sex-adjusted rates were calculated.

Results: All-cause-injury age- and sex-adjusted rates were 2.5 times higher for those living in First Nations communities compared to those living in northern communities. Relative risks (RR) for specific injury types in First Nations compared with northern communities were: assault (RR=5.5 in females and 4.8 in males), intentional self-harm (RR=5.9 in females and 5.2 in males) and accidental poisoning (RR=4.9 in females and 3.7 in males). Differences were also seen between northern and southern communities: assault (RR=2.8 in females and 3.5 in males), intentional self-harm (RR=2.1 in females and 1.4 in males) and accidental poisoning (RR=2.2 in females and 1.7 in males).

Discussion: Injuries severe enough to require a hospital admission were higher in First Nations communities in northern Ontario relative to those in northern and southern Ontario communities. Higher rates of certain injuries were also noted in northern compared with southern communities. This underscores the importance of using a geographic comparison group.

Résumé

Contexte: La population autochtone au Canada présente des risques élevés et variables de blessure, mais ce problème important n’a pas été étudié en profondeur pour certains types de blessures particulières. Nous cherchons à comparer le taux et les catégories de blessures menant à une hospitalisation chez les collectivités des Premières nations et les personnes vivant dans de petites collectivités du Sud et du Nord de l’Ontario.

Méthodes: Nous avons utilisé des données administratives pour déterminer les populations de l’étude. Nous avons déterminé l’incidence de toutes les catégories de causes-blessures et de blessures particulières concernant les personnes vivant dans les collectivités autochtones de l’Ontario (N=28 816) pour l’année 2004, en utilisant les données de congé d’hôpital. Nous avons comparé les personnes vivant dans de petites collectivités au Nord (N=211 834) avec celles vivant au sud (N=650 002) de l’Ontario. Nous avons calculé les taux ajustés selon l’âge et le sexe.

Résultats: Tous les taux de blessure ajustés selon l’âge et le sexe étaient 2,5 fois plus élevés chez les personnes vivant dans des collectivités des Premières nations que chez celles vivant dans des collectivités du Nord. Les risques relatifs (RR) pour certains types de blessures particulières chez les collectivités des Premières nations comparativement aux collectivités du Nord étaient les suivants: grand risque d’hospitalisation à la suite d’une agression (RR=5,5 chez les femmes et 4,8 chez les hommes), d’une blessure intentionnelle infligée à soi-même (RR=5,9 chez les femmes et 5,2 chez les hommes) et d’un empoisonnement accidentel (RR=4,9 chez les femmes et 3,7 chez les hommes). Des différences étaient également notables entre les collectivités du Nord et du Sud: grand risque d’hospitalisation à la suite d’une agression (RR=2,8 chez les femmes et 3,5 chez les hommes), d’une blessure intentionnelle infligée à soi-même (RR=2,1 chez les femmes et 1,4 chez les hommes) et d’un empoisonnement accidentel (RR=2,2 chez les femmes et 1,7 chez les hommes).

Discussion: Les blessures qui sont suffisamment graves pour nécessiter une hospitalisation étaient plus fréquentes chez les personnes vivant dans les collectivités des Premières nations du Nord de l’Ontario que chez celles vivant dans les collectivités du Sud et du Nord de l’Ontario. Des risques élevés de certaines blessures ont également été observés chez les personnes vivant dans les collectivités du Nord par rapport à celles vivant dans les collectivités du Sud. Cela montre l’importance d’utiliser un groupe de comparaison géographique.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Daniel Fantus MSc, MD, Baiju R. Shah MD, PhD, Janet Hux MD, SM, MSc & Paula Rochon MD, MPH

  2. Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Baiju R. Shah MD, PhD, Feng Qiu MSc, Janet Hux MD, SM, MSc & Paula Rochon MD, MPH

  3. Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Baiju R. Shah MD, PhD & Janet Hux MD, SM, MSc

  4. Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Baiju R. Shah MD, PhD, Janet Hux MD, SM, MSc & Paula Rochon MD, MPH

Authors
  1. Daniel Fantus MSc, MD
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  2. Baiju R. Shah MD, PhD
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  3. Feng Qiu MSc
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  4. Janet Hux MD, SM, MSc
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  5. Paula Rochon MD, MPH
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Correspondence to Daniel Fantus MSc, MD.

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Fantus, D., Shah, B.R., Qiu, F. et al. Injury in First Nations Communities in Ontario. Can J Public Health 100, 258–262 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03403943

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