Epidemiology of Injury Among School-Going Adolescents in Ghana: Evidence From the Global School-Based Students Health Survey

Abstract

Background: Unintentional injuries are a serious global public health problem and the second leading cause of death among adolescents age between 10-19 years. It is also the least researched in most low-income countries and Ghana in particular. This study aims to provide estimates of the prevalence, causes, and associated risk factors of unintentional injuries among school-going adolescents in Ghana.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study using data from the Ghana Global School-based Student Health Survey conducted in 2012 (N=3632). A two-stage cluster probability sampling technique was employed to select a representative sample of Junior and Senior High School students in ten administrative regions of the country. Cross tabulations and chi-square tests were used to provide estimates of prevalence, frequency, and causes of injuries. In the multivariable stage, a multiple logistic regression based on SAS 9.4 survey logistic modeling procedure was conducted to examine the association between unintentional injuries with explanatory variables. The final adjusted model was assessed using a significant level of (p<0.05).Results: In this study, 40.96% (1488) of school-aged adolescents reported having experienced an unintentional injury. Of these injuries, 64.5% occurred at home, while the least occurred via traffic (15.0%). The frequency of injury did not differ between boys and girls (P=0.368), but significantly higher in adolescents aged ≤17 than in those ≥ 18 years (P<0.001). Also, injuries were significantly higher in junior high school than in senior high school adolescents. Age, physical activity, sleeping problems, and loneliness were found to be the significant risk factors associated with unintentional injury among adolescents.Conclusion: Prevalence of unintentional injuries were widespread among adolescents in Ghana. Prompt prevention of these injuries among adolescents should be a public health priority. Preventive strategies in schools and homes should be enhanced. Injury preventive measures should emphasize on adolescents. Treatment options should be made available to adolescents struggling with a sleeping problem, loneliness, and those with accidents in physical activity.