The Prevalence of Home Injuries Mong Children Aged between 0-12 Years in Kaptembwa, Nakuru County, Kenya

Abstract

deaths reported worldwide each year. Home injuries among children topped the list of top ten causes of mortality in the area in 2020. Some of the common injuries among children aged 0-12 years include: burns, falls, bites, cuts, drowning, and poisoning. The study aimed at determining the prevalence of home injuries among children aged between 0-12 years. Cross-sectional design was used among the caregivers (n=305). Interviewer schedule was used in collection of data. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. The overall prevalence of home injuries among the children in the previous six months was 14%. Overly, the prevalence of boys was 3.74 higher than that of the girls. In the study, the prevalence of injury was significantly higher among male children (p = 0.001). The trend is highly attributed to some factors innate to boys. One of the factors is the explorative nature of boy. Boys are known to engage in dangerous and risky new games with a mind of curiosity. The general high prevalence among the children could largely be attributed to lack of supervision of the children. There is need for caregivers to keep home environment safe and limit risk factors for injuries. Additionally, children need to be supervised while playing or doing home chores.