Neighborhood-level built environment and social characteristics associated with serious childhood motor vehicle occupant injuries

The effect of residential neighborhood characteristics on a child's risk of serious motor vehicle traffic occupant injuries was evaluated in New York State, USA, for the years 1993–2003, with particular focus on the effect of neighborhood walkability.Risk increased significantly (p<0.0001) with decreasing street connectivity and as more workers commuted more than 30 min using means other than public transportation, along with more single-parent households and less college attainment in the neighborhood, regardless of whether New York City was in the study.After adjusting for age, gender and socio-economic community factors, the apparent loss of walkability in a child's neighborhood increases their risk of serious injury as an occupant of a motor vehicle.