Injuries

Males and Females

• Males made injury-related ED visits at a higher rate than females in the Health Unit region from 2013-2022. There was a more than double rate of injury-related ED visits by males due to having a foreign body in eye or orifice, being cut or pierced by an object, and suffocation/choking compared to females in 2022. The rate of injury-related ED visits by females were higher than males caused by intentional self-harm, being bit by a dog or other mammal, and falls in 2022.

• Injury-related hospitalization rates in the Health Unit region were similar between males and females from 2013-2022. Males were hospitalized at a higher rate compared to females due to all land transport collisions, being cut or pierced by an object, being struck by or against an object, suffocation/choking, and having a foreign body in eye or orifice in the Health Unit region in 2022. While females were hospitalized at a higher rate due to intentional self-harm compared to males in 2022.

• The rates of injury-related mortality in males were higher than females in the Health Unit region through all years between 2013 and 2021, except 2017 and 2019. There was no significant difference by sex for the rate of mortality by type of injury in the Health Unit region in 2021.

Children and Youth

• Age specific injury-related emergency department (ED) visit rates for children and youth aged 0 to 19 years old in the Health Unit region were significantly higher than Ontario rates from 2013-2022. The highest rate of injury-related ED visits by children and youth was due to falls, followed by being struck by or against an object in 2022.

• Age specific injury-related hospitalization rates for children and youth aged 0 to 19 years old in the Health Unit region were significantly higher than Ontario from 2016 to 2022. The highest rate of injury-related hospitalizations by children and youth aged 10 to 19 years in the Health Unit region was due to intentional self-harm in 2022.

• There was no significant difference for injury-related mortality rate between children and youth aged 0 to 19 years in the Health Unit region and Ontario from 2013-2021.

Seniors

• Age specific injury-related emergency department (ED) visit rates for seniors aged 65 years and older in the Health Unit region were significantly higher compared to Ontario from 2013-2022.

• Age specific injury-related hospitalization rates for seniors aged 65 to 74 years old in the Health Unit region were significantly higher than Ontario from 2015-2022. The rate for seniors aged 75 years and older in the Health Unit region was higher compared to the Ontario rate in 2022, but did not differ from 2015-2021.

• In 2022, falls were the most common cause of injury-related ED visit and hospitalization for seniors aged 65 years and older in the Health Unit region.

• There was no significant difference for mortality rate from all injuries between seniors aged 65 years and older in the Health Unit region and Ontario from 2012-2021.