The Prevalence And Risk Factors Of Non-fatal Injury Among Older Adults

Objective: We used the information on injury from the Fourth National Health Services Survey in Jiangsu Province to get the epidemiological characteristics of elderly injury, and to explore possible risk factors and to provide guide for elderly injury prevention and intervention.Method: The information of elder injury was derived from the Fourth National Health Services Survey of Jiangsu Province. The Fourth National Health Services Survey was a nationally preventative survey of households to assess the health profile of the country. The survey of injury was first added to the national health services survey. Questionnaires were used to collect the data of socio-economic status and injury information among elderly in the previous one year. Chi-square was used to analyze the categorical data. The non-conditional logistic regression analysis was used to exam risk factors of elder injury.Results:1. A total of 6 245 elder residents participated in the study survey. Among them,there were 278 elder people reported having injury in the previous year based on the injury criteria used in this study. The incidence rate of elder injury was 4.45%.2. The injury incidence rate was 4.22% for male and 4.68% for female, and there was no significant difference between male and female (χ2=0.80,P>0.05) . The injury incidence rate was 5.03% in rural residents and 3.10% in urban residents, and there was significant difference between rural and urban residents. There was no significant difference among age groups (χ2=0.55,P>0.05).3. The five leading causes of injury were falls, traffic injuries, animal bites, cut/pierce and hit/strike. The main occurred places of injury were road/street and home. There were 17.03% and 14.40% of of injured males and females respectively had 2 or more times injuries in a year. 72.00% of the injuries are minor injuries and do not need hospitalization and clinic treatment.4. The risk factors of injury include the higher frequency of drinking (OR=1.5,1.1~2.0), divorced/widowed (OR=1.6, 1.2~2.1), single (OR=1.8, 1.0~3.3), less physical activity (OR=1.4, 1.0~1.9).Conclusions The elderly injury incidence rate in Jiangsu Province was higher than the average level of China. Falls is the major injury for Jiangsu elderly. The higher frequency of drinking, divorced/widowed, and physical activity were the risk factors of elderly injury. The high-risk populations should be taken to a series of targeted preventive measures.