Injuries across adolescence: an investigation using the Extended Adolescent Injury Checklist (E-AIC)

Abstract

Issues addressed: Injuries are the leading cause of death among adolescents. The current research examined a measure of adolescent injury in terms of whether it encompasses the diverse injury experiences of Australian adolescents, including high-risk and normative adolescents, and thus determine its utility as a tool for health promotion research. Methods: Grade 9 students from two Brisbane high schools (n=202, aged 13-14 years) and adolescents recruited from the Emergency Department waiting rooms of four Brisbane hospitals (n=98, aged 16-18 years) completed the Extended Adolescent Injury Checklist (E-AIC). Results: The most common cause of injury among adolescents was a sports activity, followed by fights for all participants except schoolbased males, who experienced more bicycle injuries. Alcohol use was most frequently reported in association with interpersonal violence injuries. Conclusions: A broad variety of injuries, occurring in context of multiple risk as well as normative behaviours, were reported by adolescents in both school and ED settings, and were captured by the E-AIC. Key words: adolescents, injury, measurement