Major trauma in working-age adults in New Zealand

Judge, Monica; Kool, Bridget; Civil, Ian · 2024 · Crossref

DOI: 10.26635/6965.6212

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

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Summary

This study investigates the demographic and injury profiles of major trauma among working-age adults (20–65 years) in New Zealand, aiming to inform targeted injury prevention strategies. The research addresses a gap in published data regarding the epidemiology of injury in this specific population, which carries significant societal and economic burdens due to the productive nature of this age group. The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of routinely collected data from the New Zealand Trauma Registry (NZTR) for the period between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2020. The study included patients admitted to public hospitals with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) greater than 12 or those who died following an injury. Demographic rates were calculated using 2018 New Zealand Census population estimates, with ethnicity prioritized such that individuals identifying as both Māori and other ethnicities were classified as Māori. Statistical analyses, including Chi-squared and Fisher’s exact tests, were performed using R software to examine associations between demographics, injury mechanisms, severity, and outcomes. The analysis identified 4,186 major trauma incidents, with an overall mortality rate of 5.6%. Males accounted for 76.6% of cases, exhibiting significantly higher injury rates across all age groups compared to females. Māori individuals experienced a significantly higher rate of major trauma (79.2 per 100,000) compared to non-Māori (44.4 per 100,000), with higher average ISS scores and mortality rates. Transport-related incidents were the leading cause of injury (61.9%), followed by falls (18.2%) and assaults (10.1%). Most injuries occurred on streets or highways (53.9%) and were unintentional (86.4%) blunt-force trauma. The 60–65 age group had the highest mortality rate, while the 30–34 age group had the highest median injury severity. A notable decrease in trauma rates was observed during the first half of 2020, likely linked to COVID-19 lockdown measures. The findings underscore significant disparities in trauma burden, particularly affecting males and Māori populations. The authors conclude that continued prevention efforts must focus on these high-risk groups and transport safety. They recommend implementing road safety interventions, such as lane separators and speed limits, in high-risk areas. The study highlights the need for culturally appropriate interventions to address socio-economic disparities contributing to elevated injury risks among Indigenous populations. Limitations include the exclusion of gender identity data, lack of information on work-related status or comorbidities, and the aggregation of non-Māori ethnicities, which may obscure specific trends within other groups.

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-26; verification: verified.

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• demographic disparities
• incidence prevalence

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• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes