Team ball sports are behind more ACT children and teenager hospital admissions than any other activity, new research has showed.
Head injuries were the most common reason for hospital admission, and the main cause was slips, trips and falls.
ACT Health epidemiologists analysed hospital admission data from July 2000 to July 2022, studying injuries in people aged zero to 24 years-old.
The rate of injuries leading to hospitalisations in that age group has increased in the past 20 years, lead researcher Zoe Pollock said.
Nearly two-thirds of those injuries were males, but the rate of injury hospitalisations for females has increased more over the decades.
Team sports
Team ball sports was the most common activity leading to admission for minor and moderate/severe injuries for almost every age category.
There was one exception.
Cycling, skateboarding, BMXing and roller skating were the activities most likely causing moderate and severe injuries in zero to 12 year-olds.
"[For] most young people, the injuries were most likely to happen either the home, sports areas or a school," Ms Pollock said.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the sports with the highest rate of injuries leading to hospitalisation were, in order: rugby, wheeled motor sports, roller sports, equestrian and Australian Rules Football.
Head injuries
An Australian is hospitalised for a head injury every four minutes, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
"Injuries to the head were the leading cause of injury for children and young people and the leading cause of injury was slips, trips and falls," Ms Pollock said.
In 2020-21, head injuries contributed to half of all injury hospitalisations for children aged zero to 4 nationwide, and 32 per cent of deaths.
While hospitalisations have increased, deaths from head injuries remain fairly consistent over the past decade.
An increase in hospitalisations may reflect a growing awareness of the impact of head trauma.
Self-harm
Researchers were particularly concerned to see a significant rise in females being admitted for self-harm, Ms Pollock said.
"We found quite a big increase in females in particular in the 13 to 18-year-old cohort," she said.
"Knowing that we've got higher rates of [females] and young people self-harming is extremely concerning."
Intentional self-harm was the most common cause of minor injuries leading to hospitalisation in 13 to 18 year-olds, and the second-most common cause of moderate/severe injuries for both 13 to 18 year-olds and 19 to 24 year-olds.
Injuries were categorised as minor, moderate or severe based on the likelihood of the injury to lead to immediate death.
However, self-harm is a strong risk factor for suicide, which is the leading cause of death in Australian children and adolescents.
This increase in self-harm is consistent with international trends and research from NSW, Black Dog Institute Associate Professor Michelle Tye said.
She said females were three-times more likely to self-harm than males on average.
"Young people use self-harm to cope with their distress, to reduce their distress," Dr Tye said.
"There are things that are happening right now that are increasing the stress environmentally, and health-wise."
A greater awareness of mental health and the options available to seek help may also be behind an increase in hospitalisations, Dr Tye said.
International research by mental health organisation Orygen found most people who present to an emergency department for self harm are not admitted.
An emergency department presentation is a good opportunity for health services to intervene, Dr Tye said.
- Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; Kids Helpline 1800 551 800.
