Equestrian-related injuries, predictors of fatalities, and the impact on the public health system in Sweden.
Abstract: Horse riding is a popular activity but has also been found to lead to many injuries and even fatalities. No reduction in the numbers of those being admitted to hospital for equestrian-related injuries have been seen in Sweden in recent years. The aim of this work was to examine injuries, fatalities, and predictors of fatalities in equestrian-related activities and to investigate the cost of these injuries to the public health system. Methods: The study is a retrospective analysis of hospital data. Methods: National Swedish hospital and mortality registers were retrospectively examined, inclusive of the years 1997-2014. Logistic regression was used to examine the predictors of fatal injuries, and cost of hospital treatment was considered. Results: Over the study period, there were an observed 29,850 injured cases and 51 fatalities. Women comprized almost 90% of those injured and 70% of fatalities. The average age was 26.8 years (range 0-91, standard deviation [SD] = 16.1) for injured and 43 years (range 7-78 years, SD = 20.5) for fatal cases. Men dominated both injured and fatal samples in the older age ranges (Fatal: >50 years; Injured: >70 years), although overall numbers were small. Injuries to the head contributed more than any other body region for both injured and fatal cases, and fractures were the most frequently seen injury type. A chi-squared analysis confirmed that injury type and injured body region were not independent of age. Logistic regression examining the association between fatality and age, gender, home region, and year of injury, indicating trends over time, found that there was an increase of 5.1% in the odds of fatality for every year increase in age of the patient and men had 2.2 times higher odds to be in the fatal sample than women. The conservative estimated cost of injury was 1800 Euro per injury event, equating to over 3 million Euro per year. Conclusions: Equestrian-related injury events present a major public health concern. Observed decreases in fatalities suggest improved health care, yet head injury and fatality rates are still high, indicating a need for further intervention. The type of injury changes with the age group, and a better understanding of injury patterns with age is needed to identify protective measures for the different user groups.
Copyright © 2018 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2019-01-25 PubMed ID: 30690221DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2018.11.023Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This study examines the incidence, causes and costs of horse-riding injuries in Sweden, revealing a significant burden on public health. The key findings include a high rate of injuries and fatalities, particularly among women, with head injuries being the most common. The cost of these injuries to the healthcare system is substantial, and the study suggests a need for deeper understanding and intervention to prevent these injuries.
Methodology
- The research was performed retrospectively, making use of hospital data from the Swedish national hospital and mortality registers between 1997 to 2014.
- It chiefly relied on logistic regression to identify the predictors of fatal injuries, whilst analyzing mortality trends over time.
- The cost associated with the treatment of these injuries was also calculated.
Results
- The study claims to have identified 29,850 horse riding injury cases and 51 fatalities over the study period.
- The overwhelming majority of the injured (around 90%) were women, who also constituted 70% of all fatalities.
- Men, despite having a lower overall incidence, dominated the older age brackets in both injury and fatality samples (~70 and 50 years respectively).
- The most common injuries were head injuries, and fractures were the most frequently occurring type.
- The study also found significant dependence of the type and location of injury on the age of the victim, analyzed using a chi-squared statistical test.
- The logistic regression unearthed a rising trend in fatality with age (5.1% increased odds for each annual increase in age) and gender, with men having a 2.2 times higher odds of fatality.
- Approximately 1800 Euro was the average cost per injury, resulting in a conservative annual total of over 3 million Euro.
Conclusions
- The research emphasized the public health significance of equestrian-related injuries given their incidence rates, fatal outcomes and socioeconomic implications.
- While the decreasing fatality rates might indicate better healthcare, the high rates of head injuries and fatalities underline a need for further preventive measures.
- The study advocates for an improved understanding of the pattern of injuries with regard to age in order to develop user-specific protective strategies.
Cite This Article
APA
Meredith L, Thomson R, Ekman R, Kovaceva J, Ekbrand H, Bálint A.
(2019).
Equestrian-related injuries, predictors of fatalities, and the impact on the public health system in Sweden.
Public Health, 168, 67-75.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2018.11.023 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Vehicle Safety, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden. Electronic address: lauren.meredith@chalmers.se.
- Vehicle Safety, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden.
- Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden.
- Vehicle Safety, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden.
- Department of Sociology and Work Science, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
- Vehicle Safety, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden.
MeSH Terms
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Animals
- Athletic Injuries / economics
- Athletic Injuries / epidemiology
- Athletic Injuries / mortality
- Athletic Injuries / therapy
- Child
- Child, Preschool
- Costs and Cost Analysis
- Female
- Horses
- Hospitalization / economics
- Humans
- Infant
- Infant, Newborn
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Registries
- Retrospective Studies
- Risk Factors
- State Medicine / economics
- Sweden / epidemiology
- Young Adult
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Giusti Gestri L. Wearable technology may assist in reducing jockeys' injuries if integrated into their safety vests: a qualitative study.. Front Sports Act Living 2023;5:1167110.
- Franzén Lindgren E, Hammarqvist F, Ahl Hulme R. Horse-riding hazards: an observational cohort study mapping equestrian related injuries at a Scandinavian trauma centre.. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil 2023 Mar 28;15(1):46.
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