Injury and its associated factors among residents of an urban slum during the festival month in South India: A community-based survey

INTRODUCTION: Injury morbidity and mortality have been steadily increasing in both developed and developing countries including India. The current study tried to assess the incidence of injury and identify the risk factors associated with injuries during the festival month in a selected urban area in Puducherry. METHODS: It is a community-based cross-sectional survey conducted among the residents in the urban field practice area of a medical college in Puducherry. Participants were interviewed using a pretested questionnaire. Information on the incidence of injury and its associated factors were collected. Data were entered in EpiData and analyzed using Stata. Generalized linear models with Poisson distribution were used to identify the risk factors associated with the injuries. RESULTS: Overall, 1380 participants from two selected clusters were interviewed. The incidence rate of injuries was 5.2% (95% CI: 4.0–6.4). In adjusted analysis male (RR 1.96, 95% CI: 1.15–3.37) and student (RR 2.91, 95% CI: 1.13–7.54) were independently associated with having an injury. Most of the injuries were unintentional and accidental. CONCLUSION: The reported incidence of at least one injury was 52 per 1000 population per month and the majority were accidental in nature. It was higher during the festival week. Public health strategies at the primary healthcare level targeting adult males and school children will be effective in the reduction and prevention of injury.