225 Trends in child injuries in Japanese schools and the role of school health nurses

Background The number of injuries to children in schools remains high, and this continues to be one of the major challenges to the sound development of children. Objective To examine the frequency and trends of child injuries in Japanese schools, to consider school accident prevention measures appropriate to the type of school and grade level, and to consider accident prevention activities by school health nurse who deal with injuries and their roles when accidents occur. Methods In Japan, a ' Injury and Accident Mutual Aid Benefit System' is concluded between parents and the JAPAN SPORT COUNCIL, an independent administrative agency, to provide medical expenses, disability and death benefits for disasters that occur under school management. Therefore, we use this benefit data to analyze the type of injury, time of occurrence, and site of injury of children. Results (1) Status of Medical Expense Benefits The average amount paid per injury was 5,101 yen for elementary school, 6,902 yen for junior high school, and 11,357 yen for senior high school, and the severity of each injury increased with the increase in continuous hospital visits of the older children. (2) Type of injury In elementary and junior high schools, 'fracture' was on the increase. The percentage of 'joint/muscle tendon/bone disease' was higher in high schools compared to other school types. (3) Time of occurrence About half of the injuries in elementary schools occurred during recess, while most injuries in junior high and high schools occurred during extracurricular activities, including club activities. (4) Injured body part Higher school types had less injuries to the 'head' and 'face' and more injuries to the 'upper limbs' and 'lower limbs'. Conclusions The benefit rate for medical care for school-controlled injuries and illnesses decreased in 2020 with a large decrease in the number of benefits. We believe that the role of school health nurse is important in responding quickly to injuries that occur under school management, investigating and analyzing the circumstances under which the injuries occurred, and developing measures to prevent recurrence.