Fall Injuries Prevention among Rural Population, with Contribution of Rural Health Workers
Journal Title: Journal of Disaster and Emergency Research - Year 2018, Vol 1, Issue 1
Abstract
Introduction: Fall injuries are one of the important health problems in worldwide. Knowledge about fall injuries is limited in low and middle-income countries in general and in Iran in particular. This study aims to document the epidemiology of injuries among rural community and to determine how fall injury is controlled and prevented community health workers, known as Behvarzes. Methods: The study was a six-month prospective injury data collection that took place in rural area of Toyserkan County, located in Iran, focused on severe injuries. About 100 subjects were investigated and documented by all Behvarzes using the logbook. At the end of data collection Behvarzes were gathered in a number of group sessions to reflect about injury prevention measures and barriers in the community. Results: A total of 23 severe fall injuries (two fatal) were reported during the follow-up period with an annual estimated incidence rate of 8/10 000 (95% CI: 6-11). The incidence rate of severe falls was significantly higher among males than females (12/10 000 vs. 3/10 000 person-years). Fall injury rate was also higher among people over 65 years (24/10 000 person-years). The injury analyses revealed that Behvarzes often considered that the adoption of safe behaviour/practice could help fall injuries prevention (17 out of 23). Furthermore, barriers or risk factors for fall injury prevention were related mostly to human factors (for all 23 cases) followed by physical environmental factors. Conclusion: It seems community health workers(known as Behvarzes) are aware and can provide the variety of suggestions and can determine several context- relevant countermeasures for fall injury prevention and even highlight potential barriers to be prevented in their areas.
Authors and Affiliations
Mohammadreza Shokouhi
Keywords
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