title: A case-control study on risk factors for unintentional childhood poisoning in Tehran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Poisoning is a major public health problem and is one of the most frequent causes of emergency hospital admissions. The aim of this study was to identify the main risk factors for unintentional childhood poisoning in Tehran, Iran and to suggest possible causes and preventative measures.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this case-control study (case, n=140; control, n=280), two controls were selected for every case. Controls were matched by age, sex, and date of hospital attendance. All children and their guardians were then interviewed by the same person using a standard questionnaire that covered the demographic, behavioral, and risk factors associated with accidental poisonings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common type of poisoning was related to narcotics (58.6%); and among the narcotics, methadone was the most prevalent poisoning agent (74.7%). Multivariate conditional logistic regression model revealed that addiction in the family (OR=14.6; 95% CI:6.2-34.6), previous poisoning (OR=7; 95% CI:2.4- 20.2), maternal occupation (OR=4; 95% CI:1.3- 12.3), and inaccessibility of poisoning products (OR=0.03; 95% CI:0.01- 0.12) were the main risk factors in unintentional childhood poisoning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Addiction in the family as a risk factor and inaccessibility of poisoning products as a protecting factor were recognized to have the highest correlation with the unintentional child poisoning. These two factors were considered as priorities in health education programs.
authors.affiliation: PhD Student, Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. kamyarmansori@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Kamyar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mansori
authors.affiliation: Professor of Epidemiology, Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention and Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. hsoori@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Soori
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor of Pediatric Clinical Toxicology Fellowship, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. faribafarnaghi@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Fariba
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Farnaghi
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor of Biostatistics, Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. lkhodakarim@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sohila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khodakarim
authors.affiliation: Student Research Committee, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran. mansorishiva@gmail.com .
authors.forename: Shiva
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mansouri Hanis
authors.affiliation: PhD Student, Gastroenterology and Liver Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. mahmodkhodadost@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khodadost
keywords: Case-Control; Hospital; Risk Factors; Unintentional Childhood Poisoning