Causes of accidents in children aged 0–14 years and risk factors related to the family environment

Abstract

A case–control study to determine the causes of accidents in children aged 0–14 years and to analyse family environment risk factors was carried out. The variables analysed in the children were age, gender, mechanism and type of accidental injury, number of siblings, birth order of the injured child, history of sibling injury and family type. Variables analysed in the parents were mother's age, history of alcoholism, maternal and paternal education level, time mother spent at home with the child, presence or absence of parents at the time of the accident and parents' occupations. The most important risk factors were gender, time mother spends at home, level of maternal education, paternal alcoholism, birth order, more than five siblings and previous injury to a sibling.