Psychosocial factors associated with lifetime experience of serious unintentional injury in South Korea.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of lifetime unintentional-injury experience and evaluate the quality of life of unintentional-injury victims, to provide useful data for the development of interventions aimed at decreasing the incidence of unintentional injuries. DESIGN, SAMPLE, AND METHODS: This study utilized data obtained from cross-sectional surveys of 24,327 Korean individuals aged 19-65 years, performed using face-to-face interviews. Demographic characteristics, unintentional-injury experience, attributes of health behavior, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questions were included in the study instruments.


RESULTS
About 11.8% of the subjects had experienced an unintentional injury that required hospitalization at least once in their lifetime. Being older, being male, having less education and lower income, working in a blue-collar job, and being enrolled in medical aid programs were associated with increased likelihood of having an unintentional injury. Among the HRQoL and risk-taking behavior variables, limitations in daily activities, suicide ideation, and binge drinking were significantly associated with injury experience.


CONCLUSIONS
Public health efforts to prevent unintentional injuries should target high-risk populations such as males, those with low incomes and education levels, and binge drinkers. Efforts should also be made to enhance the HRQoL of injury victims.
Ham
Ok Kyung
OK
Department of Nursing, Inha University, Incheon, Korea. okkyung@inha.ac.kr
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology