Unintentional Injuries among the Elderly in Rural Areas and Their Related Behaviors

Forouzan Rezapur-shahkolai; Nasrin Sayfian; Babak Moeini; Ghodratollah Roshanaei

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Unintentional Injuries among the Elderly in Rural Areas and Their Related Behaviors

Author: Forouzan REZAPUR-SHAHKOLAI ¹ ; Nasrin SAYFIAN ; Babak MOEINI ; Ghodratollah ROSHANAEI
Author Information

1. Department of Public Health, School of Public Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran. nasrin.sayfian@gmail.com
Publication Type:Original Article
Keywords: Aged; Prevention; Health Promotion; Iran
MeSH: Accidental Falls; Adult; Aged; Cause of Death; Cross-Sectional Studies; Data Collection; Female; Health Promotion; Humans; Iran; Male; Plastics
From:Korean Journal of Family Medicine 2019;40(2):80-86
CountryRepublic of Korea
Language:English
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Although the role of unintentional injuries as a cause of death in adults is known, there is limited knowledge about such adults’ behaviors. This study aims to investigate the frequency of and factors affecting unintentional injuries among the elderly living in rural areas and their related behaviors. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in the rural areas of Hamadan County, Iran, in 2016. The sample consists of randomly selected 445 adults aged 60–75 years. Data collection was conducted through face-to-face interviews, using questionnaires. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-three participants (34.7%) experienced 166 injury occurrences. The injuries occurred more in females than in males. There were more mild and severe injuries (48.2% and 31.3%, respectively) than moderate ones (20.5%). The most frequent mechanism of injuries was accidental falls (64.5%). There was a significant relationship between using aid devices and injuries (P=0.001). Among the most applied injury preventive measures as reported by the elderly, crossing streets safely and the use of proper lighting at night had the highest percentages (81.5% and 69.7%, respectively). However, the use of protective handles and plastic flooring in bathrooms in order to prevent slipping had the lowest percentages (less than 1.0%). CONCLUSION: The injuries among the elderly in this study were important health concerns. Injury-related factors should be considered in the development of injury prevention programs.