J Korean Med Sci.  2020 Feb;35(6):e37. 10.3346/jkms.2020.35.e37.

Pediatric Injuries in Kids Cafés and Risk Factors for Significant Injuries: a 6-Year Cross-Sectional Study Using a Multicenter Injury Registry in Korea

• Choi IC
• Park JW
• Jung JY
• Kim DK
• Kwak YH
• Suh D
• Lee SU

• KMID: 2469942
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2020.35.e37

Abstract

BACKGROUND
A kids café is a popular indoor playground in Korea that combines a playground for young children and a café for their caregivers. There have been no national reports about kids café-related injuries in Korea. This study investigated kids café-related injuries in Korea registered in a multicenter injury surveillance database and analyzed the risk factors for significant kids café-related injuries.
METHODS
A multicenter cross-sectional study was performed using the Emergency Department-based Injury In-depth Surveillance registry in Korea between 2011 and 2016. Significant injury was defined as an injury requiring hospitalization or surgery. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to obtain the adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for factors associated with significant kids café-related injuries.
RESULTS
Among 1,537,617 injured patients, we extracted 891 patients who were injured in kids cafés. Of these, 46 (5.2%) were admitted, and 39 (4.4%) underwent surgery. The most common injured anatomical site, injury type, and mechanism were lower extremity (28.2%), superficial injury (27.2%), and slip (27.1%), respectively. Among injury-inducing factors, significant injuries were most commonly caused by a trampoline (28.1%), and rock climbing equipment was the only risk factor in a kids café that led to significant injury after adjusting for age, sex, injury mechanism, and injured anatomical sites (aOR, 14.94; 95% confidence interval, 1.51-147.72).
CONCLUSION
The rock climbing equipment in a kids café can cause serious injury to children. Establishing safety regulations for rock climbing equipment in kids cafés may have the greatest impact in reducing significant injuries requiring hospitalization or surgery.

Keyword

Wounds and Injuries; Pediatric Emergency Medicine; Play and Playthings; Child; Korea

MeSH Terms

Caregivers
Child
Cross-Sectional Studies*
Emergencies
Hospitalization
Humans
Korea*
Logistic Models
Lower Extremity
Odds Ratio
Play and Playthings
Risk Factors*
Social Control, Formal
Wounds and Injuries