Struck By or Struck Against Injuries / 21

6. Struck by or struck against injuries

This section describes hospitalisations due to unintentional struck by or struck against-related injuries.
Struck by/struck against injuries are sustained as a result of contact made between one person and
another person(s) or object(s) (WHO, 1977; WHO, 1992). For example, struck by injuries can refer to the
type of unintentional contact that may occur between players while they are participating in a sporting
activity. There are two main events that cause contact to occur and these are struck by/struck against a
person or object and caught between two objects (WHO, 1977; WHO, 1992).

Struck by/struck against injury-related hospitalisations can also be intentional. A struck by/struck
against injury inflicted on one person by another that results in an admission to hospital is classified
as an interpersonal violence injury (WHO, 1977; WHO, 1992). Hospitalisations due to intentional struck
by/struck against events are described in Section 9 of this report on interpersonal violence.

In NSW, struck by/struck against incidents were the tenth leading cause of death in NSW during 1998-
2002, with 111 deaths, giving a mortality rate of 0.3 per 100,000 population (Schmertmann et al,
2004).

Struck by/struck against hospitalisation data were used to describe the profile of struck by/struck
against injuries to NSW residents. Hospitalisation data during 1999–2000 to 2003–2004 were used
for the majority of the analyses, except for the trend analyses, which used data from 1989–1990 to
2003–2004.

Struck by/struck against injuries were the third leading cause of injury hospitalisation in the period
1999–2000 to 2003–2004, and accounted for 7.1% of all injury-related hospitalisations (Table 3). During
this period, there were 35,642 hospitalisations for struck by/struck against injuries, at a rate of 108.8 per
100,000 population. There were approximately 7,128 hospitalisations per year due to struck by/struck
against injuries during 1999–2000 to 2003–2004.

Males had an age-adjusted hospitalisation rate for struck by/struck against injuries at least three times
the rate for females during 1989–1990 to 2003–2004. For males the rate of hospitalisations for struck by/
struck against injuries remained fairly constant from 1989–1990 to 1996-97 then rose from 1997–1998
to 1999–2000 (Figure 7). Overall, the hospitalisation rate was estimated to have increased significantly
by 4.2% per year during 1989–1990 to 2003–2004 (95% confidence interval for the increase: 3.5% to
5.0%).
 25

25
Figure
22 9. Hospitalisation
/ NSW INJURY rateof for
PROFILE: A Review injury
Injury due to struck
Hospitalisations by/struck
During against
1989–1990 injuries
by sex, NSW
to 2003–2004
1989–1990 to 2003–2004
Figure 9. Hospitalisation rate for injury due to struck by/struck against injuries by sex, NSW
1989–1990 to 2003–2004
Figure 7. Hospitalisation rate for injury due to struck by/struck against injuries by
sex, NSW 1989–1990 to 2003–2004
200
200
150
150
Rate per 100,000

100
Rate per 100,000

100
50
50

Males Females
0

89-90 Males
90-91 91-92 Females
92-93 93-94 94-95 95-96 96-97 97-98 98-99 99-00 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04
0

Year

89-90 90-91 91-92 92-93 93-94 94-95 95-96 96-97 97-98 98-99 99-00 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04

Year
For males, the 15–24 year age group had the highest rates of age-specific
hospitalisation for struck by/struck against injuries during the period 1999–2000 to
For males, the 15–24 year age group had the highest rates of age-specific hospitalisation for struck
For males, Inthe
2003–2004. 15–24 year
comparison, age group
the highest had the rate
hospitalisation highest rates by/struck
for struck of age-specific
against
by/struck against
hospitalisation injuries
for during
struck the
by/struckperiod 1999–2000
against to
injuries 2003–2004.
during the
injuries for females during the same timeframe was for children aged 0–4 years In comparison,
period the
1999–2000 highest
to
2003–2004.
(Error! In
ratecomparison,
Reference
hospitalisation source
for struck the found.).
not highest
by/struck againsthospitalisation rateduring
injuries for females for struck by/struck
the same against
timeframe was for
injuries for females during the same timeframe was for children aged 0–4 years
children aged 0–4 years (Figure 8).
(Error! Reference source not found.).
Figure 10. Age-specific hospitalisation rate for struck by/struck against injuries by sex, NSW,
1999–2000 to 2003–2004
Figure 8. Age-specific hospitalisation rate for struck by/struck against injuries by
sex, NSW,Age-specific
Figure 10. 1999–2000hospitalisation
to 2003–2004 rate for struck by/struck against injuries by sex, NSW,
1999–2000 to 2003–2004
350

Males Females
300
350

Males Females
250
300
Rate per 100,000

200
250
Rate per 100,000

150
200
100
150
100
50
50
0

0-4 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 75-79 80-84 85+
0

Age-group (years)

0-4 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 75-79 80-84 85+

Age-group (years)
 22
Struck By or Struck Against Injuries / 23

Struck by/struck against a person or object accounted for at least three-quarters of the
Struck
struckby/struck
by/struckagainst a person
against or object accounted
hospitalisations for at
for both least three-quarters
males (80.3%) and offemales
the struck by/struck
(75.4%).
Overall,
against the hospitalisation
hospitalisations for both for struck-by/against
males injuries
(80.3%) and females wasOverall,
(75.4%). 234% thehigher for malesfor
hospitalisation
than for females (Table 8).
struck-by/against injuries was 234% higher for males than for females (Table 8).

Table 8.Injury
Table 8. Injuryhospitalisations
hospitalisations by struck
by struck by/struck
by/struck against against injury
injury cause, cause,
NSW, NSW,
number, rate and
number, ratetoand
CI, 1999–2000 CI, 1999–2000 to 2003–2004
2003–2004

All Persons Male Female

Cause N Rate1 95%CI2 N Rate1 95%CI2 N Rate1 95%CI2
Struck by/against a
28,226 86.2 (85.2,87.2) 22,005 133.7 (132.0,135.5) 6,221 37.4 (36.5,38.3)
person or object
Caught between two
7,416 22.6 (22.1,23.1) 5,389 32.7 (31.8,33.6) 2,027 12.4 (11.8,12.9)
objects
3
All 35,642 108.8 (107.7,109.9) 27,394 166.4 (164.5,168.4) 8,248 49.8 (48.7,50.9)

1
Rate per 100,000
12 Age-adjusted population.
rate per 100,000 population.
95% confidence interval.
23 95% confidence interval.
The number of NSW residents hospitalised interstate during 2003–2004 was imputed and as a result
3 The
the number
sum of of NSW residents may
submechanisms hospitalised
not equalinterstate during 2003–2004 was imputed and as a result the sum of
the total.
submechanisms may not equal the total.

Table 9 shows the number of hospitalisations due to struck by/struck against injuries by age group for
Table 9 shows the number of hospitalisations due to struck by/struck against injuries
the period 1999–2000 to 2003–2004. Struck by/against a person or object was the most common type
by age group for the period 1999–2000 to 2003–2004. Struck by/against a person or
of struckwas
object by/struck againstcommon
the most hospitalised injury
type of for all age
struck groups. The
by/struck numberhospitalised
against of struck by/struck
injuryagainst
for
all age groups. The number of struck by/struck against injuries was
injuries was highest for males aged 15–24 years and for females aged 1 to 4 years. highest for males
aged 15–24 years and for females aged 1 to 4 years.
Summary
Summary
Struck by/struck against injuries were the third leading cause of injury-related hospitalisation involving
Struck by/struck against injuries were the third leading cause of injury-related
NSW residents between
hospitalisation 1999–2000
involving NSW and 2003–2004,
residents accounting
between for 7.1%and
1999–2000 of all2003–2004,
injury-related
accounting forThe
hospitalisations. 7.1% ofhospitalisation
yearly all injury-related
rate forhospitalisations. The yearly
struck by/struck against injurieshospitalisation
was estimated to
rate increased
have for struck by/struckbyagainst
significantly injuries
4.2% per was 1989–1990
year during estimated to
to2003–2004.
have increased significantly
by 4.2% per year during 1989–1990 to 2003–2004.
In 2003–2004, there were 7,154 hospitalisations of NSW residents following struck by/struck against
In 2003–2004, there were 7,154 hospitalisations of NSW residents following struck
injuries, giving a hospitalisation rate of 107.7 per 100,000 population. Around one-half (50.9%) of those
by/struck against injuries, giving a hospitalisation rate of 107.7 per 100,000
population.following
hospitalised Around one-half
a struck (50.9%)
by/struck of those
against injury hospitalised
were aged following a struck
10–34 years.
by/struck against injury were aged 10–34 years.
Struck by/struck against a person or object accounted for around 80% of the struck by/struck against
Struck by/struck
hospitalisations. against
Males a person
were more or object
likely than femalesaccounted for around
to be hospitalised 80% by/struck
for a struck of the struck
against
by/struck against hospitalisations. Males were more likely than females to be
injury. In particular, males were almost four times more likely to be hospitalised after being struck by/
hospitalised for a struck by/struck against injury. In particular, males were almost four
struck
timesagainst a persontoorbe
more likely object than females.
hospitalised Thebeing
after overallstruck
hospitalisation
by/struck rateagainst
was about 234% higher
a person or
object
for malesthan
thanfemales. The overall hospitalisation rate was about 234% higher for males
for females.
than for females.
 27
27
Table 9. Number of hospitalisations for struck by/struck against injuries by age group and cause, NSW, 1999–2000 to 2003–2004
Table 9. Number of hospitalisations for struck by/struck against injuries by age group and cause, NSW, 1999–2000 to 2003–2004
Age group
Age group
Rank 0-4 5–9 10–14 15–24 25–34 35–44 45–54 55–64 65+ Total
Rank 0-4 5–9 10–14 15–24 25–34 35–44 45–54 55–64 65+ Total
1 Struck Struck Struck Struck Struck Struck Struck Struck Struck Struck
1 Struck Struck Struck Struck Struck Struck Struck Struck
by/against by/against by/against by/against by/against by/against by/against by/against Struck
by/against Struck
by/against
by/against
person or by/against
person or by/against
person or by/against
person or by/against
person or by/against
person or by/against
person or by/against
person or by/against
person or by/against
person or
person or
object person
object or person
objector person
objector person or
object person or
object person or
object or
personobject or
person object person or
object
object
2,092 object
2,199 object
3,260 object
7,122 object
5,268 object
3,342 object
2,146 object
1,075 object1,721 object28,226
2 2,092 2,199 3,260 7,122 5,268 3,342 2,146 1,075 1,721 28,226
2
Caught Caught Caught Caught Caught Caught Caught Caught Caught Caught
Caught Caught Caught Caught Caught Caught Caught Caught Caught Caught
between 2 between 2 between 2 between 2 between 2 between 2 between 2 between 2 between 2 between 2
between 2 between 2 between 2 between 2 between 2 between 2 between 2 between 2 between 2 between 2
objects objects objects objects objects objects objects objects objects objects
objects objects objects objects objects objects objects objects objects objects
1,299
1,299 753
753 428
428 909
909 1,144
1,144 1,017
1,017 858858 534 534 474 474 7,416 7,416
24 / NSW INJURY PROFILE: A Review of Injury Hospitalisations During 1989–1990 to 2003–2004