Children's winter sports injuries & protective equipment, a surveillance system based study

by Nayar, Sunita Maria

Sports injuries that could be prevented by protective equipment are a serious cause of morbidity arnong children. The objectives of this study were to: determine the fiequency of protective equiprnent use among children participating in winter sports, identi@ the reasons for non-use of equipment, explore whether an injury prompted an intended change in the use of protective equipment, and compare an open-ended and a categorical method for collecting data on suorts injuries. Data was collected about children who visited the emergency rooms of the Montreal Children's Hospital and L'Hôpital Ste. Justine. frorn the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program, and from a follow-up telephone interview. There were 69 1 injuries. Protective equipment was used in 2% of sledding injuries, 6% basketball, 11% snowboarding, 29% skiing, 40% ice skating, and 75% ice hockey. With regards to intended use of protective equipment, 40% of respondents stated they will not require its use and 5% will no longer permit participation in the sport.