The objective of this study was to determine the incidence and pattern of injuries among children and adolescents <18 years old in Riyadh city and to identify associated factors. A cross sectional household survey included children and adolescents <18 years was performed. 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. 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. It is recommended that school safety education and environmental modification should be applied in Riyadh. (Author/publisher)
Abstract