A new study has found face and jaw (oral and maxillofacial, OMF) injuries increased in Queensland, prompting a call for more focus on reducing violence in rural and remote parts of the state.
Sai Pabbati BDS (Hons) graduate from James Cook University and Peter Thomson, Head of Dentistry at JCU and Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences co-authored the study.
Dr Pabbati said the research team reviewed hospital records from the Queensland Injury Surveillance Unit on more than 9000 OMF injuries, covering the years 2015 to 2021.
"Yearly cases rose by an average of 22.9 in metropolitan areas and 24.4 in remote areas. Regional areas showed the sharpest increase, with an average of 74.4 additional cases each year," said Dr Pabbati.
"However, remote areas showed the most consistent upward trend, suggesting the problem there is accelerating."
He said both the total number and the rate of OMF injuries per head of population increased with rurality.
"Compared to major cities, people in regional areas faced around twice the risk of injury, while those in remote areas were up to 11 times more likely to be affected," said Dr Pabbati.
He said the higher risks in regional and remote areas may be linked to factors such as high-risk occupations and socioeconomic disadvantage.
"Previous research has shown that rural residents and First Nations people are disproportionately affected by jaw fractures and other facial injuries," said Professor Thomson.
The study also examined how the injuries occurred.
"A majority of injuries were of accidental nature in all population groups. However, the regional and remote groups recorded a higher rate of relative assault-related cases compared to the metro group," said Dr Pabbati.
Dr Pabbati said assault related injuries, especially from domestic and family violence, were approximately twice as common in rural areas compared to the city.
Professor Thomson said the review underscored the need for targeted interventions aimed at addressing the mental health and risky behaviour patterns in rural and remote communities.
"Without intervention, the rising trajectory of injuries may continue to place pressure on health services in areas where they are already under strain," he said.
Link to paper here.
