Citation

Mohammed Z, Aledhaim A, AbdelSalam EM, El-Setouhy M, El-Shinawi M, Hirshon JM. BMC Public Health 2020; 20(1): e595.

Affiliation

Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group - BMC)

DOI

10.1186/s12889-020-08658-w

PMID

32357864

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Childhood injuries are a significant and growing global public health problem, often with high morbidity and, at times, mortality. A large proportion of injuries in preschool children occur in or around the home. We aimed to identify socioeconomic and demographic factors associated with preschool children injuries in Egypt.

METHODS: Secondary data analysis were done for the Egyptian Demographic and Health Surveys (EDHS), 2014. Potential associated factors were measured from data on child welfare and questions on the prevalence of accidents and injuries of preschool children. These data were linked to the children demographic data, maternal age at marriage, working status of the mother, and questions on childcare arrangements.

RESULTS: Out of the 634 injured children, 520 (83.4%) children required medical care for their injuries. The most common reported injury was an open wound 288 (45.5%), followed by fractures 237 (35.7%), burns 124 (19.7%), electrical shock 12 (1.9%) and other unknown types of injury 15 (2.4%). There was a positive correlation between injury and child's age, household wealth, mother's age at marriage, and unsupervised children or children left in the care of a minor.

CONCLUSION: Leaving children unsupervised or in the presence of other young children is significantly associated with the occurrence of child injuries.

Language: en

Keywords

Demographic and health survey; Egypt; Injuries; Preschool children