Unintentional injury and its determinants among adolescents.

Background: Globally, unintentional injury has been a documented public health problem among adolescents having debilitating consequences and accountable for economic burden. The study was undertaken to estimate the prevalence of unintentional injury, identify the determinants and consequences among adolescents.

Design And Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 222 adolescents using systematic random sampling from a site covered under UHTC Srinagar Garhwal, Uttarkhand. Binary and multivariate logistic regression was used to compute crude and adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) for establishing an association between risk factors and unintentional injury. Descriptive measures (causes, consequences, etc.) describing injuries were presented in tabular, graphical form in proportions.

Results: 73.1% of the adolescents suffered from unintentional injury. The risk factors associated (statistically insignificant) with unintentional injury was  males (AOR=1.019, 95% CI=0.524-1.979) , living in nuclear family (AOR=1.540, 95% CI =0.766-3.093), smoked tobacco (AOR=2.797, 95% CI=0.227-34.4377), visually impaired (AOR =1.629, 95% CI=0.548-6.458) and living in house with overcrowding (AOR=1.66, 95% CI=0.818-3.395). Five percent of those affected with unintentional injury had disability.

Conclusions: Health education addressing causes, risk factors, consequences of unintentional injury among adolescents, parents, school, and district health authorities should be mandated for the formulation of policy to prevent unintentional injuries.