Unintentional Child Injury in Rural and Urban Siddlagatta, Karnataka, India: A Community-Based Survey

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Public Health
• Injury Prevention

Background:

• Childhood injuries are a significant concern in India, yet data is limited.
• Indian children under 14 represent a substantial portion of the population.
• This study addresses the gap in understanding unintentional injuries among Indian children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the occurrence of unintentional injuries in children aged six months to 18 years in Siddlagatta, India.
• To identify risk factors associated with these injuries.
• To inform targeted injury prevention strategies.

Main Methods:

• A community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2018 to September 2020.
• A two-stage cluster sampling method selected 2341 urban and rural families.
• The WHO child injury questionnaire was adapted and validated for data collection on injuries over the past 12 months.

Main Results:

• The study included 2695 children aged 6 months to 18 years.
• A prevalence of 11.5% (95% CI: 10.3-12.7) for unintentional injuries (excluding minor cases) was found.
• Falls accounted for 53.8% of injuries, with over 50% occurring in domestic settings.

Conclusions:

• Fall-related injuries are highly prevalent across all child age groups and genders.
• Homes and schools are identified as primary locations for childhood injuries.
• There is a critical need for focused preventive interventions to mitigate childhood injuries.