School injuries and their prevention from the present perspective

Abstract

Background: ‪Injuries are considered worldwide to be the most significant health problem, especially in childhood. In the Czech Republic, injuries are the most common cause of death among children and young adults. The aim of the study was to provide more insight in school accidents in the Czech Republic from 2008 to 2018 and to estimate future trends. Material and methods: ‪Annual reports of the Czech School Inspectorate (CSI) from 2007 to 2017 were the main sources of data. Results: ‪A high number of injuries occur in the school environment, especially at the primary level. In the Czech Republic, there has been a trend of rising numbers in reported school injuries over the last three years, from 33,000 in 2008 to 46,000 in 2018. Over the last 5 years, the number of reported accidents has increased by 1,000 per year. The most injuries occur in primary schools, within the subject Physical Education. Conclusions: ‪There are many activities which focus on the prevention of child injuries, the incidence of which has improved in recent years. Experience shows that when prevention programs include innovations and interesting presentation methods, they are successful.

Keywords

• injuries
• cause of death
• children
• school
• prevention