Citation

Engström K, Laflamme L. Acta Psychiatr. Scand. Suppl. 2002; (412): 26-29.

Affiliation

Karolinska Institutet, Department of Public Health Sciences, Division of Social Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1034/j.1600-0447.106.s412.6.x

PMID

12072122

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To measure socio-economic differences in intentional injuries among Swedish adolescents.METHOD: A cross-sectional study, based on linkage of records from national registers, considering injuries incurred by all adolescents domiciled in Sweden in 1990-94. Absolute and relative differences between adolescents from four household socio-economic groups (SEGs) were measured, considering separately males and females, two age categories (10-14 and 15-19 years) and injuries caused by interpersonal violence and self-inflicted injuries.RESULTS: Absolute differences (in injury incidence) between SEGs were greatest for self-inflicted injuries, among older female adolescents. There were clear social gradients in all instances, but relative differences (relative risks) reached a peak for interpersonal violence among younger adolescents, for both boys and girls.CONCLUSION: There is a clear association among Swedish adolescents between type of intentional injury and gender, with absolute differences remarkably wide for self-inflicted injuries. For a given age category, gender-specific social gradients are quite comparable within diagnosis.