Abstract
Unintentional injuries are major causes of mortality and morbidity. Although generally perceived as accidents, it is possible to identify those at higher risk and implement appropriate prevention measures. This study aims to investigate the common causes of unintentional injuries and their associated risk factors among a large representative sample. Data of 12,022 individuals who completed the Hong Kong Population Health Survey 2014/15 were extracted. The primary outcome was the prevalence of having unintentional injury(-ies) in the previous 12 months that was severe enough to limit daily activities. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify associations between injuries and sociodemographic, clinical and lifestyle factors. 14.5% of respondents reported episode(s) of unintentional injury in the past 12 months in the population level. The main causes of top three most severe unintentional injuries were sprains (24.0%), falls (19.9%) and being hit/struck (19.6%). 13.2% injury episodes were work-related among the most severe episode. Factors independently associated with significantly higher risks of injury included currently employed, homemaker or student, born in Hong Kong (as compared with immigrants), doctor-diagnosed chronic conditions, harmful alcohol consumption, insufficient sleep, and disturbed sleep. To summarize, unintentional injuries are highly prevalent and associated with harmful drinking, insufficient sleep, and disturbed sleep, which are potential modifiable risk factors for prevention.
Highlights
Introduction published maps and institutional affilInjuries are a major public health problem [1]
Injuries are generally categorized and defined as either intentional or unintentional [2]. Intentional injuries are those where it is clear that an individual has purposely harmed themselves or others, whereas unintentional injuries can occur by mishap or negligence [2]
In addition to making up around 75% of all injury-related deaths [1], unintentional injuries tend to be more common among younger and economically productive individuals, thereby resulting in 138 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost each year [2]. Those who have experienced an unintentional injury report both short and long-term health consequences that can result in impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL) [3] and psychological morbidity [4,5] for both the victims and their families [6]
Summary
Introduction published maps and institutional affilInjuries are a major public health problem [1]. In addition to making up around 75% of all injury-related deaths [1], unintentional injuries tend to be more common among younger and economically productive individuals, thereby resulting in 138 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost each year [2]. Those who have experienced an unintentional injury report both short and long-term health consequences that can result in impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL) [3] and psychological morbidity [4,5] for both the victims and their families [6]
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