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A Comparison of Nonfatal Unintentional Injuries in the United States Among U.S.-Born and Foreign-Born Persons

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Abstract

The objective of this research was to compare the risk of nonfatal unintentional injuries between foreign-born and U.S.-born persons. Cross-sectional, nationally representative data were used from the 2000–2003 National Health Interview Survey to compare the risk of injury between 62,267 foreign-born and 322,200 U.S.-born persons. Nonfatal unintentional injuries occurring during the three months prior to the interview were compared by age, gender, education, poverty status, region of residence, family size, and health insurance coverage status. There were a total of 7,654 injured persons with U.S.-born persons having a weighted injury prevalence of 2.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.2, 2.4) and foreign-born persons having a weighted injury prevalence of 1.2% (95% CI: 1.0, 1.3). With the U.S.-born population as the reference and while controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, the odds ratio of injury risk was 0.54 (95% CI: 0.48, 0.62) for the foreign-born population. Transportation-related injuries occurred more frequently among foreign-born persons than among U.S.-born persons (23.7%, 95% CI: 19.7, 28.3 vs. 15.0%, 95% CI: 14.0, 16.2, respectively). This research is the first step in determining the morbidity from unintentional injuries among the foreign-born population in the U.S.

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Acknowledgments

Funding for this study came from the National Center for Injury Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Grant #:R49CE00241-01). The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Injury Research and Policy, Columbus Children’s Research Institute, School of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA

    Sara A. Sinclair MPH (Research Associate), Gary A. Smith MD, DrPH (Center Director and Associate Professor of Pediatrics) & Huiyun Xiang MD, MPH, PHD (Assistant Professor)

  2. College of Medicine, Center for Injury Research and Policy, Columbus Children’s Research Institute and Children’s Hospital, The Ohio State University, 700 Children’s Drive, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA

    Huiyun Xiang MD, MPH, PHD (Assistant Professor)

Authors
  1. Sara A. Sinclair MPH
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  2. Gary A. Smith MD, DrPH
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  3. Huiyun Xiang MD, MPH, PHD
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Correspondence to Huiyun Xiang MD, MPH, PHD.

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Sinclair, S.A., Smith, G.A. & Xiang, H. A Comparison of Nonfatal Unintentional Injuries in the United States Among U.S.-Born and Foreign-Born Persons. J Community Health 31, 303–325 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-006-9012-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-006-9012-x

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