Motor vehicle accident is a risk factor for traumatic head injury among children in Abuja: analysis of the first trauma registry in Nigeria

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Pediatric traumatic injury is a major public health concern that is poorly documented in lower and middle-income countries. This study analyzed data on pediatric injuries from a unique hospital trauma registry in Abuja, Nigeria. METHODS: Data were analyzed on 220 traumatically injured patients aged 21 years/less to describe injury characteristics and to determine the association between mechanism of injury and pediatric head injuries in Abuja, Nigeria, between 2014 and 2015. Bivariate analysis using Pearson's chi-square and adjusted logistic regression were conducted to characterize the population and identify risk factors for head injury. P-values 0.05 were considered statistically significant. All statistical analyses were performed using STATA v.15.1. RESULTS: The majority of patients were male (60.9%) with a mean age (SD) of 12.5,6.9 years. Head injuries were most common (49.6%), followed by chest (14.1%), abdomen (12.3%) and back (7.7%). The Mechanism of injury was statistically significantly associated with head injury (p=0.027) with 63% of children in a motor vehicle accident sustaining a head injury. After adjusting for covariates, the odds of head injury were 3.8 times higher for children injured in an MVA compared to those with falls (95%CI 1.40-10.40). CONCLUSION: This analysis reveals that motor vehicle accident is a risk factor for traumatic head injury among children in Nigeria. Therefore, efforts should be made to address motor vehicle accidents involving children. These data will help to inform age-related prevention and treatment strategies. The results of this study highlight the importance of collecting pediatric trauma data in developing countries.

Keywords

• pediatric trauma
• mechanism of injury
• motor vehicle accident
• head injuries
• lower and middle-income countries
• nigeria trauma registry