[Epidemiological study on disability caused by injury in the Chinese population]

To describe and analyze the prevalence and epidemiological features of people with disability caused by injury in the Chinese population, and to provide scientific basis for developing the prevention and control programs on injuries.

Statistics and intervention measures were used to analyze the data from the Second China National Sample Survey on injury-caused Disability. Cluster analysis was used to analyze the differences in regions.

The overall prevalence of disability caused by injury was 99.68/10 000 which occupied 15.59% of all the disability, with multiple disability excluded. Physical disability and hearing disability accounted for 65.59% and 23.35% of all the injury-caused disability respectively, while those ranked Grade IV and III making up the majority (55.14% and 25.83%) of the disability, respectively. There were significant differences in the distribution of injury-caused disability among different age groups (χ(2) = 23 106.14, P < 0.001) and gender (χ(2) = 2161.74, P < 0.001). Ageing and being males having a higher risk on injury-caused disability. Five clusters were identified by cluster analysis, in which injury-caused disability were severe in the fifth (Sichuan province) and the fourth clusters (Hunan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Ningxia province).

Problems discovered by injury-caused disability in the Chinese population should not be ignored. Both physical and hearing disabilities appeared to be the two main types of disability while age, gender and region were related to injury-caused disability. Targeted strategies should be developed to decrease the injury-caused disability in China.