Abstract

Objectives: To investigate whether perceived failure in school performance increases the potential for children to be physically injured.

Subjects: Children aged 10–15 years residing in the Stockholm County and hospitalised or called back for a medical check up because of a physical injury during the school years 2000–2001 and 2001–2002 (n = 592).

Methods: A case-crossover design was used and information on potential injury triggers was gathered by interview. Information about family socioeconomic circumstances was gathered by a questionnaire filled in by parents during the child interview (response rate 87%).

Results: Perceived failure in school performance has the potential to trigger injury within up to 10 hours subsequent to exposure (relative risk = 2.70; 95% confidence intervals = 1.2 to 5.8). The risk is significantly higher among pre-adolescents and among children from families at a higher education level.

Conclusions: Experiencing feelings of failure may affect children’s physical safety, in particular among pre-adolescents. Possible mechanisms are perceptual deficits and response changes occasioned by the stress experienced after exposure.