Magnitude and Determinants Associated with the Risk of Unintentional Injuries Among Elderly in Tamilnadu, India

Abstract

Background: Globally Injuries are becoming a major emerging public health problem; injuries are the fifth common problem among the elderly. Since long, injuries were considered to be synonymous with accident, thinking that injuries are a random act of fate and luck; injuries remained a neglected field of research in the past. Based on the recent data each year over 5 million people dies because of an injury around the world. Materials and Method: A Cross-sectional study was conducted among the elderly from three districts namely Dharmapuri district, Kancheepuram district and Chennai district of Tamil Nadu. The study was conducted among the permanent residents. The interview was conducted through semi-structured questionnaire. Data on unintentional injuries in the last one year period was collected. Results: Among 995 elderly, 13.9 % of the elderly reported to have Unintentional injuries, among those injured, fall was the major injury reported about 49% of all injuries. The individual risk factors was found to be perceived dimness of vision, fear of falling, elderly males and people in Tribal region was also found to be at risk. Conclusion: Unintentional injuries are a significant problem among elderly, the fall-related injuries (49%) was highest in elderly. The findings on risk factors highlighted the need to focus on the prevention of Unintentional injuries among the elderly. Preventive measures should be prioritised to risk groups such as those living in Tribal areas and from low social economic background. Funding Statement: The authors state: None. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare: None. Ethics Approval Statement: The study was approved by the Institutional ethical committee of SRM School of Public Health, SRMIST, Kattankulathur, Tamilnadu.