Pattern of injuries among children and adolescents in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: a household survey.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the incidence and pattern of injuries among children and adolescents <18 years old in Riyadh city and to identify associated factors.


METHODS
A cross sectional household survey included children and adolescents <18 years. A two-stage cluster sample was used to recruit the participants from thirty clusters each consisted OF 23 households. A questionnaire was used for data collection by interview.


RESULTS
The study included 1650 children and adolescents. Of them, 22.2% reported having had injuries in the previous 12 months. The most common injuries were falls (40.4%), Road Traffic Accidents (RTA) (15%), food intoxication (8.8%). Males were more affected by injuries than females (26% vs. 18%). Males living near playgrounds or public gardens, playing in the street are independent risk factors for occurrence of both falls and RTA injuries.


CONCLUSIONS
school safety education and environmental modification should be applied in Riyadh.
Gad
Ashry
A
Research Chair of Epidemiology, Public Health and Environment, Family & Community Medicine Department, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, KSA. ashry59@yahoo.co.uk
AL-Eid
Rasheed
R
Al-Ansary
Saleh
S
bin Saeed
Abdulaziz
A
Kabbash
Abdulmoty
A
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology