Unintentional child home injury incidence and patterns in six countries in Europe

Factors associated with injuries among preschool children in Egypt: demographic and health survey results, 2014

Background

Childhood injuries are a significant and growing global public health problem, often with high morbidity and, at times, mortality. A large proportion of injuries in preschool children occur in or around the home. We aimed to identify socioeconomic and demographic factors associated with preschool children injuries in Egypt.

Methods

Secondary data analysis were done for the Egyptian Demographic and Health Surveys (EDHS), 2014. Potential associated factors were measured from data on child welfare and questions on the prevalence of accidents and injuries of preschool children. These data were linked to the children demographic data, maternal age at marriage, working status of the mother, and questions on childcare arrangements.

Results

Out of the 634 injured children, 520 (83.4%) children required medical care for their injuries. The most common reported injury was an open wound 288 (45.5%), followed by fractures 237 (35.7%), burns 124 (19.7%), electrical shock 12 (1.9%) and other unknown types of injury 15 (2.4%). There was a positive correlation between injury and child’s age, household wealth, mother’s age at marriage, and unsupervised children or children left in the care of a minor.

Conclusion

Leaving children unsupervised or in the presence of other young children is significantly associated with the occurrence of child injuries.

Trial on the efficiency of the recovery treatment for patients with distal radius fractures

The hand is considered to be one of the most important structures of the human body, with the help of which we can do different kinds of activities. A lesion of the hand can destabilise the patient from a physical point of view but also from a psycho-social one. The distal radius fractures are the cause of morbidity for patients and determine the decrease of the workforce, despite the restoration of the bone alignment and even if the fracture is cured from an anatomical point of view. The hand traumatisms, especially the fractures, may have as causes osteoporosis, age, medication by corticoids, repeated traumatisms and physical deficiences. The objective of this trial is the evaluation of parameters (the movement amplitude, the muscular force, the prehension, the functional coefficient, the quality of life) which enable the clinical - functional recovery of patients who had hand traumatisms and their social- professional reinsertion. The study was conducted for a period of 6 months in the ambulatory and included 20 patients diagnosed with post-fracture sequelae at the distal radius level. The evaluation of the patients was made at the beginning and at the end of the treatment, as well as at the examination 6 weeks after the end of the treatment. For this purpose, electrotherapy, lymphatic drainage massage and the kinesiotherapy program were applied. After making the joint balance sheet, it is found the favorable evolution in the recovery on all the mobilisation directions, but also the functional coefficient, in all the evaluation moments: initial, final and control. By applying the evaluation methods and scales to the 3 moments of assessing the patients, the efficiency of the complex recovery program can be seen. Key words: clinical - functional recovery, hand traumatisms, the distal radius fractures,

Effects of a Safety-Awareness-Promoting Program Targeting Mothers of Children Aged 0-6 Years to Prevent Pediatric Injuries in the Home Environment: Implications for Nurses

Pediatric injuries pose a significant problem, both in Turkey and worldwide, because they lead to death or disability in a number of children each year. This quasi-experimental study aimed to identify the effects of the training provided to mothers with children aged 0-6 years about the hazards that lead to pediatric injuries. The population of the research comprised mothers with children aged 0-6 years, living in the city center. Considering the educational and socioeconomic levels of the individuals registered in the family health centers (FHC), the FHCs were divided into 3 groups of high, moderate, and low socioeconomic level. Subsequently, 1 FHC was selected from each level using simple random sampling. The study was conducted with 300 volunteer mothers registered in these FHCs. The tools used for data collection included the "0-6-year-old Children's Mothers' Identification Scale of Safety Precautions for the Prevention of Pediatric Injuries," the "Risk Assessment Form for Pediatric Injuries" (RAF), and a 33-item questionnaire. After the training on the prevention of pediatric injuries, the mothers' scores on the identification of safety precautions for pediatric injuries increased significantly (p = 000). In addition, there was a significant difference between the pre- and posttest scores of the mothers (p < .05) on all dimensions of the RAF (choking, burns, poisoning, sharp object injuries, and falling; all p values <.05). Thus, the training provided to mothers to prevent pediatric injuries was effective in improving the awareness of the mothers.

Domestic Injuries among Children Under 7 Years of Age in Iran; The Baseline Results from the Iranian First Registry

Objective

To investigate epidemiological aspects of injuries among Iranian children under 7 years of age using obtained data from a national registry.

Methods

Injury data were derived from a national-based injury supervision system during 2000-2002. This registry involved all of home-related injuries for children less than 7 years of age that treated in health or emergency centers. The study population included 25% of Iranian people. The descriptive statistical methods were used for representing the distribution of the variables like age, sex, injury mechanisms, types of injuries, etc. Data were presented as mean ± SD and proportions as appropriate.

Results

Of the total 307,064 domestic injuries registered during 2000-2002, 77,500 cases (25.2%) were children. 70% of these children (54581 cases) were in age group of 1-5 years. The large fraction (58.8%) of injuries among children under 7 years of age went back to burn injuries. Cuts and lacerations were at the second level with 17.4%. 51% of injuries had contact with hot liquids. Of all children under 7 years of age injuries, 282 died, 86 were disabled, while the rest improved or being under treatment when recording data.

Conclusion

Injuries, particularly burns (especially those who had contact with hot liquids that led into scald), are major public health problem that children under 7 years of age encounter. Therefore, it seems necessary to provide adequate plans to promote children under 7 years of age safety issues.

Domestic Injuries among Children Under 7 Years of Age in Iran; The Baseline Results from the Iranian First Registry

OBJECTIVE

To investigate epidemiological aspects of injuries among Iranian children under 7 years of age using obtained data from a national registry.

METHODS

Injury data were derived from a national-based injury supervision system during 2000-2002. This registry involved all of home-related injuries for children less than 7 years of age that treated in health or emergency centers. The study population included 25% of Iranian people. The descriptive statistical methods were used for representing the distribution of the variables like age, sex, injury mechanisms, types of injuries, etc. Data were presented as mean ± SD and proportions as appropriate.

RESULTS

Of the total 307,064 domestic injuries registered during 2000-2002, 77,500 cases (25.2%) were children. 70% of these children (54581 cases) were in age group of 1-5 years. The large fraction (58.8%) of injuries among children under 7 years of age went back to burn injuries. Cuts and lacerations were at the second level with 17.4%. 51% of injuries had contact with hot liquids. Of all children under 7 years of age injuries, 282 died, 86 were disabled, while the rest improved or being under treatment when recording data.

CONCLUSION

Injuries, particularly burns (especially those who had contact with hot liquids that led into scald), are major public health problem that children under 7 years of age encounter. Therefore, it seems necessary to provide adequate plans to promote children under 7 years of age safety issues.

Worsening Inequalities in Child Injury Deaths in the WHO European Region

This article compares the mortality data for injuries in children aged 0–14 years in the World Health Organization WHO European region as estimated by the WHO Global Health Estimates for 2000 and 2015. While the region has seen a decline in child mortality due to injuries over the years, inequality persists between the low- and middle-income countries and high-income countries in the region. The gap in child mortality due to unintentional injuries has widened over the years between these two socioeconomic regions, particularly in terms of road injuries. In contrast, mortality rate ratios due to intentional injuries have narrowed between 2000 and 2015. The low- and middle-income countries need to scale up their efforts in injury prevention by adopting stricter regulations and higher safety practices to narrow the East-West gap in unintentional injuries.

Global childhood unintentional injury study: multisite surveillance data

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to analyze the epidemiology of childhood unintentional injuries presenting to hospitals in 5 select sites in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) (Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, Malaysia, and Pakistan).

METHODS

We collected standardized data from children ages 0 to 12 years at participating emergency departments (EDs) in 2007. Statistical analyses were conducted to compare the characteristics of these injuries and to explore the determinants of injury outcomes.

RESULTS

Among 2686 injured children, falls (50.4%) and road traffic injuries (16.4%) were the most common, affecting boys more often (64.7%). Home injuries were more common among younger children (average 5.41 vs 7.06 years) and girls (38.2% vs 31.7%). Following an ED visit, 24% of injured children were admitted to the hospital, and 6 died. Injury outcomes were associated with risk factors, such as age and sex, to varying extents.

CONCLUSIONS

Standardized ED surveillance revealed unintentional injuries are a threat to child health. The majority of events took place inside the home, challenging traditional concepts of children's safety and underscoring the need for intensified context-appropriate injury prevention.

A wicked problem: early childhood safety in the dynamic, interactive environment of home

Young children being injured at home is a perennial problem. When parents of young children and family workers discussed what influenced parents' perceptions and responses to child injury risk at home, both "upstream" and "downstream" causal factors were identified. Among the former, complex and interactive facets of society and contemporary living emerged as potentially critical features. The "wicked problems" model arose from the need to find resolutions for complex problems in multidimensional environments and it proved a useful analogy for child injury. Designing dynamic strategies to provide resolutions to childhood injury, may address our over-dependence on 'tame solutions' that only deal with physical cause-and-effect relationships and which cannot address the complex interactive contexts in which young children are often injured.

Childhood unintentional injuries: need for a community-based home injury risk assessments in pakistan

Background. A substantial proportion of the annual 875,000 childhood unintentional injury deaths occur in the home. Very few printed tools are available in South Asia for disseminating home injury prevention information. Methods. Three tools were planned: an injury hazard assessment tool appropriate for a developing country setting, an educational pamphlet highlighting strategies for reducing home injury hazards, and an in-home safety tutorial program to be delivered by a trained community health worker. Results. The three tools were successfully developed. Two intervention neighborhoods in Karachi, Pakistan, were mapped. The tools were pretested in this local setting and are now ready for pilot testing in an intervention study. Conclusion. Planning for an innovative, community-based pilot study takes considerable time and effort in a low-income setting like Pakistan. The primary outcome of the pre-testing phase of the study was the development of three important tools geared for low-income housing communities in Pakistan.

Spring cleaning as a safety risk: results of a population-based study in two consecutive years

Background

Spring cleaning is a popular tradition in Iran as well as in many other countries. The purpose of our study was to determine the pattern and compare the incidence of spring cleaning related injuries in Tehran, in the years 2007 and 2008.

Methods

In the year 2007, a household survey was performed in Tehran by random cluster sampling. The survey was repeated in May 2008 with the same clusters and starting points, but different households. The incidence of spring cleaning related injuries, the age and sex of injured person(s), the mechanism, type and cost of injuries were recorded through semi-structured interviews. The incidence rates of injuries and injuries leading to health visits (severe) according to sex and age groups were calculated. Data were analyzed using SPSS and STATA statistical softwares.

Results

The incidence of all and severe spring cleaning related injuries were 3.8 (3.0 - 4.8) and 1.6 (1.1-2.3) per 1000, respectively. The most common mechanisms of injuries were falls, followed by cutting and lifting heavy objects or overexertion. Falls were also the main mechanism of severe injuries. The most common injuries were open wounds, followed by superficial injuries (including contusions) and sprain and strain. Among severe injuries, the most frequent injuries were open wounds and contusions, followed by dislocations. The injuries were most common among women with an incidence of about 8.4 per 1000 in women older than 18 years of age (severe injuries: 3.4 per 1000 (2.2-5.1)).

Conclusion

The incidence of spring cleaning related injuries is high enough to raise concern in health system authorities. It could be estimated that about 23,927 to 38,283 persons get injured during the spring cleaning in Tehran at the beginning of every Persian new year. In addition, about 8,773-18,344 of these cases are expected to be severe enough to lead to medical attention (considering 7,975,679 as the population of Tehran at the time of study). Improving awareness of families, especially young women, regarding the scope and importance of spring cleaning safety can be suggested as the first population-based strategy to decrease the incidence of these injuries.