0122

AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY ON CHILDHOOD INJURIES IN A RURAL AREA
Jiang Jingxiong, Ding Zongyi, Yan Guifeng, et al.
Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China

Objective: To study the epidemiology of childhood injuries and deaths in rural areas in northern China and to identify the risk factors for prioritizing preventive interventions.
Methods: The authors selected a county in Hebei Province as the study county. Among the population in rural area of this county, all the trauma-related injuries and deaths of children aged 0-14 years during January 1, 1990 to December 31, 1991 were registrited. The injury cases and deaths were identified using the ICD-9 E coding classification system.
Results: The annual rate of injury was 246.9/100 000 children aged 0-14 years and the death rate was 29.2/100 000. The disability rate per 1100 000 children was 17.3. Injury was the leading cause of death for children in this county and caused 16.7% of all deaths among children aged 0-4 years, 60.9% of all deaths among children aged 5-9 years and 89.1% of all deaths among children aged 10-14 years. The major causes of childhood injury deaths were poisoning, traffic accidents and drowning. The major causes of injury were falling, burn/scald and dog bite.
Conclusion: Injury was a major health problem of childhood in the rural area surveyed. The injury mortality and morbidity rates among children were much higher than those in most developing countries and developed countries. The risk factors associated with childhood injuries in the study county included that the room was poorly ventilated when heating with burning coal, parents neglected their children and lack of safety awareness among children and parents. The injury prevention strategies for children should be developed in rural area.