Technical Report - Donegal Traveller's Project

All Ireland Traveller Health StudySafetyGeneral SummarySome 12% of respondents in ROI, and 8.1% in NI, reported one or more injuries serious enough tointerfere with daily activities in the last 2 years. This finding was strongly age-related, rising to a 25.3% ofthe over-65 age group in ROI. Whilst the majority were accidental (65.7% in ROI and 78.1% in NI), therewere an appreciable number of reported non-accidental injuries, particularly among women in ROI(38.8%) and in the middle-age groups. The most frequently cited location for an accident was in thehome (42.9% in ROI and 51.6% in NI) and the pattern differed somewhat by sex and according to agegroup. Most were treated in accident and emergency service (40.6% in ROI and 34.4% in NI), followedby the GP (28.9% in ROI and 31.3% in NI), a similar pattern according to sex and age group.A majority of respondents (88% in ROI but 63.5% in NI) reported regular use of a seat belt while drivingin a car or van.CommentaryThe Traveller groups appeared to have overall fewer injuries than the SLAN 2002 medical card holdersgroup (Table 257). Notable is the high frequency of non-accidental injury in the Traveller groups,especially in ROI. Using a different questionnaire item, 7.6% of men and 6.7% of women of theSLAN 2007 medical card holders reported an injury in the last 1 year which necessitated a medicalconsultation (11% and 7% respectively in the general SLAN 2007 population: data not included in thetable because of the variation in data items). Compared with 88% in ROI and 63.5% in NI, 84.6% of SLAN2002 medical card holders reported that they always wear seatbelts whilst in the front of the car.Table 257: Accidents in the last 2 years, in AITHS and SLANTravellers (ROI) Travellers (NI) SLAN 2002 medicalcard holdersSuffered an accident in thelast 2 years which interferedwith daily activitiesMost recent injury was nonaccidentalMale(n=692)Female(n=943)Male(n=191)Female(n=203)Male(n=626)Female(n=921)13.2% 11.1% 8.4% 7.9% 14.3% 16.5%29.3% 38.8% 25.0% 18.8% 5.6% 13.4%214