Hospitalisation for injuries among Finnish conscripts in 1990–1999

To describe the incidence, trends and nature of hospitalisation for injuries among Finnish conscripts between 1990 and 1999. A hospital discharge register study on the hospitalisation for injuries with a follow-up of 213 509-person-years. During the 10-year study period, altogether 20 016 hospitalisations for injuries were registered. Over this period, the annual incidence of hospitalisation for injuries declined with 26%, from 113.3 (95% CI: 108.7–118.0) per 1000 conscripts in 1990 to 84.1 (95% CI: 80.0–88.2) in 1999. Summer and autumn were the seasons with the highest incidence rates. Half of the injuries were sprains, strains, or fractures, and in half of the injuries, the anatomical location involved was the lower limb. The leading external causes of injuries were falls (31.8%) and injuries inflicted by foreign objects or machinery (18.5%). Although hospitalisations for injuries declined between 1990 and 1999, injuries are still an important cause of morbidity in the Finnish Defence Forces. Further studies to evaluate the risk factors and mechanisms of injuries are needed to develop effective prevention strategies.