Epidemiology of non–fatal injuries among adolescents in an urban Niger delta community of Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Injuries affect the lives of 10 – 30 million children and adolescents each year and have been acknowledged as the leading cause of mortality among young people in the age range of 15 – 19 years. Injury, as a research problem has been largely ignored in developing countries like Nigeria. AIMS: This study was aimed at determining injury prevalence, external causes / mechanism of injury, various factors affecting injury occurrence, injury severity, type of treatment received, as well as the most common days and times of injury. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: The study was conducted in the Agbor Metropolis of the oil-rich Niger delta region of Nigeria and adopted a cross-sectional study design. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Semi-structured questionnaires were distributed to 386 subjects selected using a stratified and simple random technique. ANALYSIS: Analysis was done using Social Science Statistical Package, with the level of significance taken at 0.05 RESULTS: Injury prevalence was 284 (73.6%) with a mean frequency of 1.8 per child. About (221) 57.3% of the injuries sustained resulted in 1+ day's activity loss, with about 136 (35.2%) requiring medical attention. The top injury sites were street / road, 49 (12.69%) and school environment and sporting arena, 47 (12.18%), respectively, followed by home vicinity, 43 (11.14%). The key causes of injury were collision, 53 (13.73%), falling, 41 (10.62%), and cut / stabbing, 41 (7.51%). Most treatments were at the hospital, 136 (47.72%). Most injuries occurred in the afternoons, 108 (28%) and evenings, 89 (23.1%). Injury experience was associated with Respondents / Parents level of education, family type, alcohol consumption, and age (P < 0.05 for all). CONCLUSION: Injury experience was relatively high and varied with site, activity, age, family type, alcohol consumption, and parental educational status.