Fall Injury and Socio-Demographic Characteristics among House Hold in Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Fall injuries are a public health problem throughout the world including Africa. Studies in
Ethiopia are health facility-based and do not reflect the communities. Therefore, the aim of this study is to
assess association between fall injury and socio-demographic characteristics among house hold in Ethiopia.
Methods: The study was based on the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey conducted in 2016. The
survey collected information about injuries in the past 12 months among 16,650 households. Households
were selected using stratified cluster sampling procedure. Data were collected using a standard interview
questionnaire from January 18, 2016 to June 27, 2016. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression
analyses were used to characterize the data and to identify the factors associated with fall injuries, respectively.
Result: A total of 16,650 (98%) heads of household participated in the study with 152 reported at least one
household member injured from a fall in the past 12 months. Among household members who were involved
in a fall, 95.4% survived and 5.6% died. Selected socio-demographic characteristics: Household head sex
[OR: 1.53, 95% CI (1.05-2.15)], age [OR: 2.4, 95% CI (1.28-4.63)], marital status [OR: 8.14, 95% CI (1.05-
63.15)]; family size [OR: 1.93, 95% CI (1.27-2.93)], owns land usable for agriculture [OR: 1.60, 95% CI
(1.14-2.27)], owns livestock herds [OR: 1.46, 95% CI (1.02- 2.08)] and household wealth index [OR: 1.77,
95% CI (1.11-1.95)] were variables statistically significant with the fall injury.
Conclusion: Household head characteristics including family size, agriculture-asset and wealth index were
variables statistically significant with the fall injury. Injury prevention efforts should focus on falls with
special attention among farmer households and low economic status.