A Cross-sectional Study On Injuries Among Residents At The Community Of Shaoxing

Injury epidemiology is a new subject on disease control and prevention. According to many researches in China and abroad, It is obvious that injury not only threatens the health and life of people but also bring about heavy economic and social burden. WHO report estimates, there were more than 5 million people died of injury every year. Injury is the top 5 major causes of death in most countries. The WHO report indicates that China ranks the top in incidence rate of suicide in the world. In recent years, the researches on injury control and prevention were carried out in China. For example, Mr. Lu Guanping surveyed the injury situation of primary and middle school students in Jiangmen and predicted that there were about 40 million primary and middle school students suffering from the injuries every year, among those 13.60 million students needed out-patient medical treatment, 3.55 million students should be in-patient medical treatment, 12 million students had their body function impaired and 4 million become disabled. The estimated medical expense is 3.2 billion RMB. The research on injury control and prevention just starts in Zhejiang province and there is still no such kind of survey in Shaoxing. In order to analyse the epidemic features of injury in shaoxing and to provide evidence for prevention and control of injury, a cross-sectional study on injuries among residents at the community of Shaoxing was conducted.Material and methodA stratified-cluster sample on the condition was conducted by household questionnaire, the traffic accident rate (4%) was taken as the sample estimating base line, intergrading the area, gender, age and other reasons, we surveyed more than 100000 persons which came from 4029 families in urban area, outskirts, suburb area and exurb from Oct. 1.2002 to Sept.30. 2003. Persons suffer from the injuries of traffic accident, poisoning, falls, scald, cuttings, electric shock, animal bites and suicide were surveyed and the content of questionnaire including: time, place, frequency, wound place and treatment. There are three standards of injury: ?took treatment in hospital and diagnosed as one kind of injury;?aided by family members, teachers, colleagues and accompaniers;?leaved more than a half day because of the injury.ResultsA household questionnaire survey was conducted to 11640 residents among 4029 families in four communities. There were 1460 person/time injured incurred by 8 kinds. The total incidence rate of injuries was 12.54 % and the standardized incidence rate of injuries was 12.51%. The rate of falls, cuttings and traffic accident ranked the top 3, which was 4.78%, 2.83% and 1.92% relatively. The rate of electric shock was thelowest, only 0.08%.Among the injurers, there were 779 males and 681 females, the incidence rates were 13.67% and 11.46%, and the standardized rates were 14.01% and 11.02% relatively. Except the scald, the incidence rate of injuries in men was higher than that in women(/=13.01, PO.01).The difference among the incidence rate of injuries at the different ages had statistic meaning (^=158.92, PO.01), the rates of younger than 10 years old group and older than 50 years old group were higher than those of the other groups, the rate of younger than 5 years old group was the highest (19.10%), the rate of 20-29 years old group is the lowest t (7.45%). The distribution of injuries was different among thedifferent age groups in the urban and rural areas.The difference among the incidence rates of injuries in different areas had statistic^, PO.01), the rates of outskirts and suburb area were higher than those of urban area and exurb. Outskirts: 489 cases, 15.95%, suburb area: 414 cases, 14.07%, exurb: 267 cases, 9.61%, urban area: 290 cases, 10.16%. The residents in different areas had the different kinds of injury: suicide and electric shock almost all happened in rural area, while falls rate in outskirts area is the highest: (6.23%).The occurring of injury varies obviously in different seasons(/=23.40, PO.005). The incidence rate of injuries in summer was the highest (4.15%). The rate in winter was the second (3.54%). The rates in spring and autumn were lower than those in summer and winter. The rates of injuries in different seasons were different. Traffic accidents and falls often happen in winter, while poisoning, cuttings and electric shock often happen in winter. The average loss of injury was 22.2 years of potential life, 9.5 work years of potential life and 5.3 valued years of potential life.The direct economic loss of each injury was RMB 621.6 and it would take average of 9.11 days to rest. Suicide costs was the highest at average of RMB 2252, traffic accident injurers took average of 22.62 days to rest and the cost was RMB 1644.09. It would cost RMB 1257.99, 597.87, 476.96,400, 382.88 and 180.05 at the accidents of falls, poisoning, scald, electric shock, cuttings and animal bites relatively.ConclusionThe total incidence rate of injuries was 12.54 % among residents at the community of Shaoxing in one year. The falls, wounded and traffic accident were on the top major injures. The different rates was among different ages, the incidence rate of injuries of men was higher than that of women. The rates among different areas were different. The incidence rate of injuries in outskirts was the highest. The incidence rates of injuries in different seasons were different. The incidence rates of injuries in spring and in autumn were lower than those in summer and in winter.The average loss of injury was 22.2 years of potential life, 9.5 work years of potential life and 5.3 valued years of potential life. The direct economic loss of each injury was RMB 621.6 and it would take average of 9.11 days to rest.Injury occurred among residents at the community of Shaoxing commonly and frequently, which seriously endangered the burden of disease. Injury research should be strengthened, so that we can reduce incidence of injury and its burden efficiently.