Facial injuries among southern women rising: study

The number of southern women suffering facial injuries is steadily rising, researchers have found.

Doctors reviewed the cases of 1561 patients who were treated in Dunedin and Southland Hospitals for maxillofacial fractures between 2009 and 2020.

Over the entire time span of the audit, 20% of those patients were women. In the earlier years of the study one in six patients was a woman but by its end that ratio had increased to one in four.

In an article published in the latest issue of the New Zealand Medical Journal, Jared Monk, William Thomson and Darryl Tong, of the University of Otago School of Dentistry, said the over-representation of men suffering such injuries had tended to divert attention away from maxillofacial fractures in women.

"Maxillofacial trauma places a serious burden on the New Zealand health-care system," they said.

"The incidence of maxillofacial fractures and their associated costs have steadily increased over the last 11 years, to the point where the latter now exceed $90million annually."

New Zealand was mirroring a trend detected overseas, that as more women embarked on careers in formerly male-dominated industries, their rate of facial work-related injuries was rising.

This country was also in alignment with European research which had found a drop in road crash-related facial injuries, but a rise in such injuries from violence or from falls.

Alcohol was a factor in a quarter of all presentations.

"Fractures to the maxillofacial region can have a serious impact on quality of life," the article said.

"Those suffering such trauma can experience severe morbidity, mortality, facial disfigurement, loss of function, psychological stress and substantial financial costs."

The number of falls leading to facial injury had slowly increased, particularly in those aged 50-plus, and likely reflected the ageing population.

"Falls impacted more older females than males of any age, but most significantly among those aged 70 or older ... Most fall-related fractures also occur at home, and the likelihood of living alone increases with age, more commonly among females."

The average age of the population was expected to increase for the next 30 years, and would put further pressure on the New Zealand health system, the doctors said.

"Prevention of domestic falls, especially among older females, should be emphasised.

"Fall prevention programmes are available through most New Zealand DHBs and community health providers can also be useful in this respect."

 

 

 

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