• June Alette Holter, Elisabeth Jeppesen, Trond Dehli, Eyvind Ohm, and Torben Wisborg.
• Department of Research, Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation, Oslo, Norway; Interprofessional Rural Research team, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway. Electronic address: june.holter@norskluftambulanse.no.
• Injury. 2024 Oct 20; 55 (12): 111968111968.

IntroductionPaediatric trauma is a leading cause of death, with correlations between trauma outcomes and geographical locations. Certain rural regions of Norway face a higher risk of trauma-related fatalities compared to the nationwide population. Among adults, the risk of both fatal and non-fatal injuries rises with increased rurality. The study aimed to investigate whether there is an increased risk of fatal and non-fatal injuries for children in rural areas across the entire country, as well as any changes over two decades.Materials And MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of fatal and non-fatal paediatric injuries by accessing two national registries for all trauma-related patients under the age of 18. All cases were stratified into six groups according to level of centrality based on a national index used as a proxy for rurality. For inter-group comparison, urban-rural disparities were evaluated using Pearson`s Chi-square test, linear regression, and relative risk (RR).Result1,059 paediatric deaths were included in the study period from 2002 to 2021. The mortality rate increased linearly with increased rurality (r = 0.985, p < .001). The overall mortality risk was 2.4 times higher in the most rural group compared to the most urban (RR = 2.37, 95 %CI 1.78 - 3.14, p < .001). Most deaths occurred pre-hospital (73 %), the total number of fatalities was highest in the age group 16 to 17 (42 %), and transport-related injury (32 %) was the most common cause of death. The relative risk of non-fatal injury was significantly higher for all centrality groups compared to most urban, and the highest rate was seen in sub-rural areas (RR = 1.39, 95 %CI 1.37 - 1.42, p < .001).ConclusionThe mortality rate increased linearly across all levels of centrality, and the relative risk was 2.4 times higher in the most rural population compared to the most urban population. To effectively target primary prevention and enhance trauma care for paediatric patients in rural areas, a deeper epidemiological understanding and more comprehensive studies are essential.Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

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