The BIONIC (Brain Injury Outcomes New Zealand In the Community) study examined data from all cases of TBI (admitted to hospital or not, fatal or non-fatal) registered in an urban (Hamilton) and rural (Waikato District) population over a 1-year period (from 1 March 2010 to 28 Feb 2011) and estimated the burden of TBI in rural and urban populations in New Zealand across all ages and TBI severities. The total incidence of TBI per 100,000 person-years was 790 cases (749 mild TBI and 41 moderate-to-severe TBI). Almost 70% of all TBI cases were in children (0–14 years) and younger adults (15–34 years). Males were nearly twice as likely as females to have a TBI (rate ratio 1.77). The leading causes of TBI were falls (38%), mechanical forces (21%), transport accidents (20%) and assaults (17%). Compared with New Zealand Europeans, Māori had a 23% greater risk of mild TBI. People living in rural areas were twice as likely to have moderate-to-severe TBI (73 per 100,000 person-years) compared with people living in urban areas (31 per 100,000 person-years).
