Unintentional Child Injury in Rural and Urban Siddlagatta, Karnataka, India: A Community-Based Survey

Introduction: Despite Indian children constituting approximately 31.4% of the population aged 0 to 14, a comprehensive exploration of childhood injuries within this demographic remains limited. This study aimed to examine the occurrence of unintentional injuries among children aged six months to 18 years in the Siddlagatta area and assess associated risk factors. Methodology: A community-based, cross-sectional study on unintentional child injuries was carried out from March 2018 to September 2020 across 11 sites in India. Employing a two-stage cluster sampling method with probability proportionate to size, 2341 urban and rural families were selected from each site. Data on unintentional injuries sustained over the past 12 months were collected using the WHO child injury questionnaire, tailored and validated for the Indian context. Results: The study encompassed 10,335 individuals in households, including 2695 children aged 6 months to 18 years. Among them, 309 children experienced 390 unintentional injuries in the preceding year, excluding minor incidents. A prevalence rate of 11.5% (95% CI: 10.3-12.7) was identified for unintentional injuries among children, excluding minor cases. Falls were the most prevalent injury type (183 cases, 53.8%), while poisoning incidents were the least frequent (one case, 0.2%). More than 50% of incidents occurred within domestic settings. Conclusions: This study's outcomes underscore the prominence of fall-related injuries across all age groups and genders. Homes and schools emerged as primary settings for these injuries, highlighting the need for targeted preventive measures.