Pediatric outdoor recreational injuries: another hidden concern during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background Recreational equipment sales rose significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigated changes in the incidence of pediatric emergency department (PED) visits related to outdoor recreational activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted at a large children’s hospital with a level 1 trauma center. Data were obtained from PED electronic medical records of children 5–14 years with a visit from March 23-September 1 in years 2015–2020. Patients with an ICD-10 code for injury associated with recreation and use of common outdoor recreational equipment were included. Initial pandemic year, 2020, was compared with pre-pandemic years (2015–2019). Data collected included patient demographics, injury characteristics, deprivation index, and disposition. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the population and Chi-squared analysis was used determine relationships between groups. Results There were 29,044 total injury visits during the study months with 4715 visits (16.2%) due to recreational mechanisms. A higher proportion of visits due to recreational injury visits occurred during the COVID pandemic (8.2%) compared to before (4.9%). Comparing patients included within the two times, were no differences in sex, ethnicity, or ED disposition. During the COVID pandemic, there was a higher percentage of White patients (80% vs 76%) and patients with commercial insurance (64% vs 55%). There was a significantly lower deprivation index for patients injured during the COVID pandemic. There were more injuries due to bicycles, ATV/motorbike, and non-motorized wheeled vehicles during the COVID pandemic. Conclusions During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in bicycle, ATV/motorbike, and non-motorized wheeled vehicle injuries. White patients with commercial insurance were more likely to be injured compared to years prior. A targeted approach to injury prevention initiatives should be considered.

The Year in Review

“…Sales of outdoor equipment increased by over 50% during the first year of the pandemic, and injuries increased concordantly. 5,6 While there are numerous reasons for the increase in outdoor activity, several studies have examined an association between emotional well-being and outdoor activity leading to a pandemic resilience strategy. 7 Given this background, Valle et al examined perceptions of backcountry skiers toward avalanche safety during the early portion of the pandemic, and differentiated between newly minted and established skiers.…”