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Childhood injuries in Singapore: a community nationwide study
1Department of Community Occupational and Family Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 229899. mmthein@pacific.net.sg
Insights
Childhood injuries in Singapore affect 19.5% of children, with falls at home being the most common cause. Identifying home hazards is crucial for preventing these injuries.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Injury Prevention
Background:
- Childhood injuries are a significant cause of mortality in children aged 5-14 in Singapore.
- Limited data existed on the prevalence and nature of childhood injuries within the Singaporean community.
- A comprehensive study was needed to address this data gap.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the prevalence of childhood injuries in Singapore.
- To identify common types of injuries and their causes.
- To pinpoint environmental hazards in homes contributing to injuries.
Main Methods:
- A nationwide, cross-sectional study utilizing two-stage stratified random sampling.
- Inclusion of families with children under 15 years of age.
- Data collection through in-home interviews with parents and caregivers.
Main Results:
- A total of 2322 children participated; 452 experienced injuries in the past year, yielding a 19.5% prevalence rate.
- The home environment was the most frequent location for injuries (45%), with falls being the predominant cause (77%).
- A positive correlation was observed between the number of home hazards and the likelihood of a child sustaining an injury.
Conclusions:
- The study highlights the critical need for targeted educational and intervention programs.
- These initiatives should focus on raising awareness about home safety for children.
- Preventing home-based childhood injuries requires a concerted effort to create safer living environments.
Introduction:
Childhood injuries are the leading cause of death for children between 5 to 14 years of age in Singapore. However, there is no information or data on childhood injuries in the community in Singapore. There was a need to conduct a nationwide study on childhood injuries in Singapore in order to estimate the prevalence rate, types of injuries, and to identify the hazards in the homes of the children.
Methods:
A cross-sectional nationwide study with a two-stage stratified random sampling was conducted to obtain a representative sample of the Singapore population. Families that had children younger than 15 years of age were selected for the study. Parents and caregivers were interviewed at their homes.
Results:
There were 2322 children in the study, of which 452 had one or more injuries in the past one year, giving an overall prevalence rate of 19.5 percent. Of the children who had injuries, the home was the commonest place where injuries occurred (45 percent) and falls were the leading cause of injuries (77 percent). There were many hazards identified in the homes studied and it was found that the more hazards present in the homes, the more likely it is for the child to get injuries.
Conclusion:
There is a need for educational and interventional programmes to help Singaporeans understand the need to make the home environment safe for children and to prevent home injuries.