Prevalence and factors associated with road traffic incident among adolescents and children in the hospitals of Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Road Traffic Incident (RTI) has been commonly reported as a major public health problem around the world and the incidence is higher in low and middle income countries, such as Ethiopia than high income countries. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and factors associated with RTI among adolescents and children in the hospitals of Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was employed among 830 injured children visiting the Emergency Department of four randomly selected hospitals of Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia between February 1 and April 30, 2016. Data were entered into EPI info version 7 and then exported to SPSS version 20, for further analysis. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were fitted. Adjusted odds ratio with its 95% confidence interval was used to determine the statistical significance. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of RTI, from all injury cases, was 20%. Socioeconomic status, being wealthy (AOR: 0.08, 95% CI, 0.01, 0.45) and middle income (AOR: 0.40,95% CI, 0.17, 0.97), parental/guardian education/no education (AOR: 6.91, 95% CI, 2.52, 8.93), mothers marital status/divorced (AOR: 0.01, 95% CI, 0.01, 0.05), and leaving a child with another child for sometime (AOR: 2.56, CI 1.06, 6.20) and most often (AOR: 4.77, CI, 1.15, 9.77) were factors independently associated with RTI . CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: The prevalence of RTI was found to be high. RTI prevention needs critical consideration and the intervention strategies shall focus on those families who are practicing of leaving a child with another child.