Meta-analysis of the Unintentional Death of Children Aged 0 to 5 Years in China Between 1995 and 2015

The aim of this study was to identify the primary cause of and a means by which to prevent the unintentional injury and death of children aged 0 to 5 years in China. METHODS: A systematic review of literature published in this area between 1995 and 2015, accessible via Chongqing VIP, Wanfang, CNKI, and PubMed databases, in addition to other electronic databases and related magazines and professional information, was conducted. The data were retrieved using Cochrane Systematic review methods. All information was judged using the Jadad method. A meta-analysis was carried out on homogeneous studies. RevMan 5.3 software was used to analyze the gathered information. RESULTS: A total of 125 related pieces of literature were retrieved. Of the 14 that met the inclusion criteria, 6 were of moderate quality and 8 of general quality. The meta-analysis showed that in a comparison of unintentional injury and death of male and female children, the odds ratio was [1.73 to 1.95] for a 95% confidence interval (P < 0.00001). In a comparison of urban and rural areas, the odds ratio was [0.02, 0.02] for a 95% confidence interval (P < 0.00001). CONCLUSIONS: Based on accessible literature, the incidence of unintentional injury and death of boys is higher than that in girls and is also higher in rural areas than in urban areas of China. Considering the significant difference in the latter comparison, developing and implementing methods to reduce the unintentional injury and death of children in rural areas should receive greater attention.