Playground injury prevention: the need for consistent and national implementation of Australian safety standards.

Curtis, K; Brown, J; Sharwood, LN; Risi, D; Eager, D; Holland, AJA; Beck, B; Erskine, C; Lockhart, K; Cooke, K; Adams, S; Teague, WJ; Mitchell, R

Playground injury prevention: the need for consistent and national implementation of Australian safety standards.

Curtis, K Brown, J Sharwood, LN Risi, D Eager, D

Holland, AJA Beck, B Erskine, C Lockhart, K Cooke, K Adams, S Teague, WJ Mitchell, R

Permalink

Publisher:: ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Aust N Z J Public Health, 2023, 47, (2), pp. 100023
Issue Date:: 2023-04

Open Access

Copyright Clearance Process

Recently Added
In Progress
Open Access

This item is open access.

Adobe PDF

Download Accepted versionAdobe PDF (619.18 kB)

View on publisher's site

View statistics

Full metadata record

Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Curtis, K
dc.contributor.author	Brown, J
dc.contributor.author	Sharwood, LN
dc.contributor.author	Risi, D
dc.contributor.author	Eager, D https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1926-7867
dc.contributor.author	Holland, AJA
dc.contributor.author	Beck, B
dc.contributor.author	Erskine, C
dc.contributor.author	Lockhart, K
dc.contributor.author	Cooke, K
dc.contributor.author	Adams, S
dc.contributor.author	Teague, WJ
dc.contributor.author	Mitchell, R
dc.date.accessioned	2023-11-07T03:17:52Z
dc.date.available	2022-12-28
dc.date.available	2023-11-07T03:17:52Z
dc.date.issued	2023-04
dc.identifier.citation	Aust N Z J Public Health, 2023, 47, (2), pp. 100023
dc.identifier.issn	1326-0200
dc.identifier.issn	1753-6405
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/173172
dc.description.abstract	OBJECTIVES: Hospitalisation rates for injury, including at playgrounds, have not changed in the past decade. There are nine Australian Standards specific to playgrounds. The impact (if any) of these standards on playground injury resulting in hospitalisation is unknown. METHODS: Retrospective data for patients under 18 years presenting to emergency departments and/or admitted between October 2015 and December 2019 due to an injury documented as occurring at a playground were retrieved by the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District Planning, Information and Performance Department. Maintenance and Australian Standard (AS) compliance data for the 401 local playgrounds were requested from the four Local Governments in Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District. Descriptive statistics were used. RESULTS: A total of 548 children were treated in emergency departments and/or admitted following playground injury. There was an overall increase of 39.3% in playground injury across the study period, and expenditure rose from $43,478 in 2011 to $367,259 in 2019 (a 744.7% increase). CONCLUSIONS: Playground injury has not decreased in the Illawarra Shoalhaven. Data regarding maintenance and AS compliance are lacking. This is not unique to our region. IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH: Without a national approach to adequately resource and monitor playground injury, it is not possible to assess the impact of Australian Standards or any injury prevention program.
dc.format	Print-Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC
dc.relation.ispartof	Aust N Z J Public Health
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.anzjph.2023.100023
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	1117 Public Health and Health Services, 1402 Applied Economics, 1605 Policy and Administration
dc.subject.classification	Public Health
dc.subject.classification	4202 Epidemiology
dc.subject.classification	4203 Health services and systems
dc.subject.classification	4206 Public health
dc.subject.mesh	Child
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Adolescent
dc.subject.mesh	Safety
dc.subject.mesh	Retrospective Studies
dc.subject.mesh	Australia
dc.subject.mesh	Play and Playthings
dc.subject.mesh	Hospitalization
dc.subject.mesh	Wounds and Injuries
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Wounds and Injuries
dc.subject.mesh	Hospitalization
dc.subject.mesh	Retrospective Studies
dc.subject.mesh	Safety
dc.subject.mesh	Play and Playthings
dc.subject.mesh	Adolescent
dc.subject.mesh	Child
dc.subject.mesh	Australia
dc.subject.mesh	Child
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Adolescent
dc.subject.mesh	Safety
dc.subject.mesh	Retrospective Studies
dc.subject.mesh	Australia
dc.subject.mesh	Play and Playthings
dc.subject.mesh	Hospitalization
dc.subject.mesh	Wounds and Injuries
dc.title	Playground injury prevention: the need for consistent and national implementation of Australian safety standards.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	47
utslib.location.activity	United States
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services
utslib.for	1402 Applied Economics
utslib.for	1605 Policy and Administration
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/e-Press
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Centre for Health Technologies (CHT)
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.date.updated	2023-11-07T03:17:50Z
pubs.issue	2
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	47
utslib.citation.issue	2

Abstract:

OBJECTIVES: Hospitalisation rates for injury, including at playgrounds, have not changed in the past decade. There are nine Australian Standards specific to playgrounds. The impact (if any) of these standards on playground injury resulting in hospitalisation is unknown. METHODS: Retrospective data for patients under 18 years presenting to emergency departments and/or admitted between October 2015 and December 2019 due to an injury documented as occurring at a playground were retrieved by the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District Planning, Information and Performance Department. Maintenance and Australian Standard (AS) compliance data for the 401 local playgrounds were requested from the four Local Governments in Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District. Descriptive statistics were used. RESULTS: A total of 548 children were treated in emergency departments and/or admitted following playground injury. There was an overall increase of 39.3% in playground injury across the study period, and expenditure rose from $43,478 in 2011 to $367,259 in 2019 (a 744.7% increase). CONCLUSIONS: Playground injury has not decreased in the Illawarra Shoalhaven. Data regarding maintenance and AS compliance are lacking. This is not unique to our region. IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH: Without a national approach to adequately resource and monitor playground injury, it is not possible to assess the impact of Australian Standards or any injury prevention program.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/173172