Home unintentional non-fatal injury among children under 5 years of age in a rural area, El Minia Governorate, Egypt

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.