Examining fall-related mortality in registries and surveillance systems in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review

Fall-related injuries are a global public health concern, and trauma registries aid in collecting data to develop measures to reduce their burden on individuals and communities. The aim of this review was to provide a comprehensive overview of the reporting of fall-related mortality in trauma registries and surveillance systems in sub-Saharan Africa.

A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We searched eight electronic databases, and studies set in countries of sub-Saharan Africa were included if the reported data originated from a trauma registry or surveillance system and contained a measurement of fall-related mortality. Results were synthesised in a descriptive manner.

Of the 3574 records found, we included 21 studies in the analysis. Different definitions were inconsistently used in reporting fall-related mortality: studies reported either a percentage of fall deaths by total falls or of fall deaths by total deaths. Deaths due to falls by total falls ranged from 0.01% to 2.4% in studies with paediatric patient populations, and from 0.03% to 60% among studies not restricted to a specific age group. Reporting on other variables in relation to injury and trauma care was also inconsistent.

The findings of this review were heterogeneous, and variables were collected irregularly among trauma registries. This led to a broad range of results and made comparisons and deductions difficult. A more standardised data collection across registries would heighten the intercomparability of results from different studies and, therefore, facilitate usage in data-based efforts for implementing prevention and optimising care.