Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Home Unintentional Non-fatal Injury Among Children Under 5 Years of Age in a Rural Area, El Minia Governorate, Egypt

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Community Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Injury is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children aged 1–14 years, with home injuries a particular problem in the preschool-age group. The focus of this study was to determine the frequency, and the outcome of unintentional non-fatal injuries among children under 5 years of age in the household, and to describe the related risk factors through a community-based survey. A cross-sectional community based study was conducted on a random sample of 1,255 rural Egyptian children under 5 years of age. Data were collected by a questionnaire which included; socio-demographic data, history, type, and the outcome of unintentional home injuries in the previous year. Of 1,255 children, 55.9 % were males and 44.1 % were females, and their mean age was 28.6 ± 11.8 months. The frequency of unintentional non-fatal home-related injuries was 20.6 %. Injury rates were the highest among children during the third year of life, those of less educated parents, those whom mothers are of young age, and those with low household socioeconomic standard. Homes of injured children were not significantly different from the homes of non-injured children. Burns were the most common injuries among all the study groups (38 %) followed by falls (35.3 %). ‘Handicaps’ were more strongly associated with falls and burns (6.6 and 4.1 % respectively). Unintentional injuries are common among children under 5 years of age in rural Egypt. Therefore, measures should be taken to prevent children from the most frequently recorded home injuries such as burns and falls.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Rivara, F, Grossman, D. (2000). Injury control. In Behrman RE, Kilegmann RM, Jenson HB (Eds.) Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics 16th eds. Philadelphia; WB Saunders company: 231.

  2. Paes, C., & Gaspar, V. (2005). Unintentional injuries in the home environment: Home safety. Jornal de Pediatria (Rio J), 81, 146–154.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Galal, S. (1999). Working with families to reduce the risk of home accidents in children. Eastern Mediterranean health journal, 5, 572–582.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Dal Santo, J., Goodman, R., Glik, D., & Jackson, K. (2004). Childhood unintentional injuries: Factors predicting injury risk among preschoolers. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 29, 273–283.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. LeBlanc, J., Pless, I., King, W., et al. (2006). Home safety measures and the risk of unintentional injury among young children: A multicentre case-control study. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 175, 883–887.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. WHO/WHD Brochure, Part IV. The priorities and solution for creating healthy places/unintentional injuries. http://www.who.int/world-health-day/2003/infomaterials/Brochure4/en/ [last Accessed 12 Jan 2009].

  7. Tobin, M., Milligan, J., Shukla, R., et al. (2002). South Asian ethnicity and risk of childhood accidents: An ecological study at enumeration district level in Leicester. Journal of Public Health Medicine, 24(4), 313–466.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Pomerantz, W., Dowd, M., & Buncher, C. (2001). Relationship between socioeconomic factors and severe childhood injuries. Journal of Urban Health, 78(1), 141–151.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. ICECI Coordination and Maintenance Group. International classification of external causes of injuries (ICECI), Version 1.2. Consumer Safety Institute, Amsterdam and AIHW National Injury Surveillance Unit, Adelaide; 2004. Retrieved August 23, 2004 from http://www.iceci.org.

  10. Roberts, I., & Power, C. (1996). Does the decline in child injury mortality vary by social class? A comparison of class specific mortality in 1981 and 1991. BMJ, 313, 784–786.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Hyder, A., Sugerman, D., Puvanachandra, P., et al. (2009). Global childhood unintentional injury surveillance in four cities in developing countries: A pilot study. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 87, 345–352.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Bashour, H., & Kharouf, M. (2008). Community-based study of unintentional injuries among preschool children in Damascus. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 14(2), 398–405.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Erkal, S., & Safak, Ç. (2006). Determination of risks of home accidents for the 0–6 age group in the Tuzluçayir village clinic neighborhood. The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics, 48, 56–62.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Abd El-Aty, N., Moftah, F., Ibrahim, H., et al. (2005). Assessment of knowledge and practice of mothers towards home accidents among children under 6 years in Assiut governorate. Assiut University Bulletin for Environmental Research, 8(2), 11–28.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Rehmani, R. (2008). Childhood injuries seen at an emergency department. Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 58, 114–118.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Razzak, J., Luby, S., Laflamme, L., et al. (2004). Injuries among children in Karachi, Pakistan-what, where and how. Public Health, 118, 114–120.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Candan, Ö., Hatice Yildirim, S., Murat, B., et al. (2010). Home accidents and mothers measurements in preschool children. Anatolian. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 4(1), 15–21.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Dal Santo, J., Goodman, R., Glik, D., et al. (2004). Childhood unintentional injuries: Factors predicting injury risk among preschoolers. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 29, 273–283.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Hjern, A., Ringback-Weitoft, G., & Andersson, R. (2001). Socio-demographic risk factors for home-type injuries in Swedish infants and toddlers. Acta Paediatrica, 90, 61–68.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Wadsworth, J., Burnell, I., & Taylor, B. (2003). Family type and accidents in preschool children. Journal of epidemiology and Community Health, 37, 100–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Birken, C., & MacArthur, C. (2004). Socioeconomic status and injury risk in children. Paediatrics and child health, 9(5), 323–325.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. LeBlanc, J., Pless, I., King, W., et al. (2006). Home safety measures and the risk of unintentional injury among young children: A multicentre case—control study. CMAJ, 175(8), 883–887.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Alptekin, F., Uskun, E., Kisioglu, A., et al. (2008). Unintentional non-fatal homerelated injuries in Central Anatolia, Turkey: frequencies, characteristics and outcomes. Injury, 39, 535–546.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Neghab, M., Rajaei, A., Habibi, M., et al. (2006). Home accidents in rural and urban areas of Shiraz, 2000–2002. Eastern Mediterranean health Journal, 12, 824–833.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Mack, K., & Liller, K. (2010). Home injuries: Potential for prevention. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 4, 75–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Hyder, A., Wunderlich, C., Puvanachandra, P., et al. (2007). The impact of traumatic brain injuries: A global perspective. NeuroRehabilitation, 22(5), 341–353.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Public Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, El-Minia Governorate, El-Minia University, El-Minia, 1666, Egypt

    Nashwa Nabil Kamal

Authors
  1. Nashwa Nabil Kamal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nashwa Nabil Kamal.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kamal, N.N. Home Unintentional Non-fatal Injury Among Children Under 5 Years of Age in a Rural Area, El Minia Governorate, Egypt. J Community Health 38, 873–879 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-013-9692-y

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-013-9692-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation