The Incidence of Injuries in Young People: II Log-Linear Multivariable Models for Risk Factors in a Collaborative Study in Brazil, Chile, Cuba and Venezuela

Injuries and accidents are acknowledged as leading causes of morbidity and mortality among children and adolescents in the developing countries of the world. The Pan American Health Organization sponsored a collaborative study in four selected countries in Latin America to study the extent of the problem as well as to examine the potential risk factors associated with selected non-fatal injuries in the countries. The study subjects were injured children and adolescents (0-19 years of age) presenting at the study hospitals in chosen urban centres, as well as injured that were surveyed in households in the catchment areas of the hospitals. Study methods and descriptive frequency results were presented earlier. In this paper, log-linear multivariate regression models are used to examine the potentiating effects within country of several measured variables on specific types of injuries. The significance of risk factors varied between countries; however, some general patterns emerged. Falls were more likely in younger children, and occurred at home. The main risk factor for home accidents was the age of the child. The education of the head of the household was an important risk factor for the type of injury suffered. The likelihood of traffic accident injury varied with time of day and day of the week, but also was more likely in higher educated households. The results found are consistent with those found in other studies in the developed world and suggest specific areas of concern for health planners to address.