4384.0 - National Health Survey: Injuries, Australia, 1995  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 02/10/1998   
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MEDIA RELEASE

October 02, 1998
Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)
100/1998

Almost three million Australians with injury conditions - ABS

Almost three million Australians (16 per cent of the population) reported they had a current injury or a condition as a result of a previous injury according to a new Australian Bureau of Statistics publication, National Health Survey: Injuries, Australia, 1995 released today.

1.1 million people had a work related injury or condition. Men were much more likely to have these work related injuries or conditions than women. The most common work related condition was complete or partial deafness. Disorders of the intervertebral disc and back trouble were also common.

Around 229,000 people (1.3 per cent of the population) had a recent sports or recreation related injury. Dislocations, sprains and strains were the most common sports injuries and falls were the most common cause of these types of injuries.

About 29,000 people had a current injury resulting from a vehicle accident. Men aged 15-24 were those most likely to have sustained an injury as a result of a vehicle accident. The most common injuries due to vehicle accidents were dislocations, sprains and strains (35 per cent) and open wounds (27 per cent).

Around 24,000 people had injuries due to physical attacks by others. The number of injuries among males due to such attacks was four times that of females. Males aged 25-34 had the highest prevalence of injuries due to attacks. Bruising and crushing was reported by a third of those with injuries due to attack and open wounds by a quarter.

The publication also revealed that in 1996 accidents, poisonings and violence accounted for 7,554 deaths (5.9 per cent of all deaths). The leading cause of these deaths was suicides, followed by vehicle accidents and falls.

Full details are in National Health Survey, Injuries, Australia, 1995 (cat. no. 4384.0) available from ABS bookshops.
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