title: Epidemiology of non-fatal injuries among Egyptian children: a community-based cross-sectional survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Injuries are a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality worldwide. We aimed to determine the magnitude and characteristics of child injuries in Egypt and to identify the associated risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A community-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted over 27 Egyptian governorates from June to October, 2011. The target population was 1977 households with children aged 0-18 years who had experienced accidental injuries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the 6-month period before the investigation, 1576 injuries were reported in 1472 children from a sample population of 1399 households (response rate 70.8 %). Falls (25 %) and burn injuries (20.3 %) were the most common accidental injuries. The incidence of these injuries was significantly higher among boys (57.2 %) than girls and in children aged 2-6 years (70 %) compared with older and younger children. The five main causes of injuries were wounds (30.6 %), fractures (28.7 %), burns (20.3 %), swallowing a foreign body (8.4 %) and accidentally ingesting a poison (7.8 %). Injuries from drowning (n = 27), animal bites (n = 22) and sunstroke (n = 20) mostly occurred in rural children, accounting for 65 %, 54.4 % and 52 %, respectively, of all injuries in rural children. Home and its immediate surroundings (64.4 %) was the most common setting for injuries. Maternal age, education and working status were also associated with childhood injuries (p < 0.05). Children of second and third birth order were at higher risk for injuries (p < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Childhood injuries account for a substantial healthcare burden in Egypt. Our findings emphasise the importance of developing national preventive programs designed to reduce the incidence of childhood injuries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Kasr Al Ainy St., Cairo, Egypt. emanhalawa3@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Eman Fawzy
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Halawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Kasr Al Ainy St., Cairo, Egypt. drabeer789@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Abeer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barakat
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Kasr Al Ainy St., Cairo, Egypt. drhoda2000@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Hoda Ibrahim Ibrahim
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Rizk
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Kasr Al Ainy St., Cairo, Egypt. eimanmoawad@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Eman Mohamed Ibraheim
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Moawad
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000401:mortality; D000059:Accidents / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000061:Accidents, Home / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D002056:Burns / Q000401:mortality; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004332:Drowning / Q000401:mortality; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*