Incidence,patterns and risk factors for injuries among Ugandan children |
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| Authors: | Anthony Batte Godfrey E. Siu Brenda Tibingana Anne Chimoyi Lucy Chimoyi Nino Paichadze |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Child Health and Development Centre, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda;2. Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Centre for Medical Evidence, Decision Integrity and Clinical Impact (MEDICI), University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada;3. University Health Centre, Ndejje University, Kampala, Uganda;4. Department of Research Management, The Aurum Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa and School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa;5. Department of International Health and Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA |
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| Abstract: | There is limited epidemiological data on childhood injuries in developing countries. This study assessed the incidence, patterns and risk factors for injuries among children aged 0–5 years in Wakiso District, Uganda. To determine differences, chi-square and Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used. Risk factors were assessed using Poisson regression. Overall, information from 359 children of mean age 32 months (SD: 18.4) was collected. Annual incidence of injuries was 69.8 per 1000 children/year (95% CI 58.8–80.8). One fatal injury due to burns was reported. Incidence of injuries was less associated with being female (IRR: 0.56, 95% CI 0.34–0.90) and increasing age of the caretaker (IRR: 0.96, 95% CI 0.92–0.99). The high incidence of childhood injuries necessitates the need for interventions to reduce injuries among children. |
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| Keywords: | Childhood injuries children low- and middle-income countries Uganda |
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