Birutė Strukčinskienė

Abstract

Summary

Every year in 27 EU countries from injury die approximately 250,000 inhabitants. About 1/5 of child injury occur in the school environment. Children spend the biggest part of their time in the school. It is of great importance to provide safe and healthy school environment.
The task of this study was to reveal the characteristics of school injuries in children aged 10 to 14 years. The survey was conducted in the seven primary schools and in the seven secondary schools in Lithuania. There were investigated 840 children. The 361 schoolchildren (43%) were injured at school environment: 59 % were boys and 41 % – girls (p≥ 0.05). 51 % of school injuries occurred during break, and 33% during lessons. During lessons, significantly more boys were injured than that of girls (p≤ 0.05). The most unsafe lesson was physical education. The schoolchildren feel the consequences of the school injury: 18 % – often remember that accident, 14 % – suffer from the limited physical activity after the injury, 10 % are afraid to exercise. The half of respondents think, as the main cause of school injury is unsafe behaviour of child, 30% underline, as it is unsafe school environment, 9% think, as it is a lack of information. Education, training, information, appropriate education process organization, control of schoolchildren activities and behaviour, safe environment creation, legislation and enforcement, along with modern medical care and rehabilitation helps to reduce injury at school and injury consequences.

Keyword(s): children, injuries at school, injury prevention.
DOI: 10.5200/102
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