Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Ghana, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG 84, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
Department of Psychology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
BMC Public Health. 2022 May 5;22(1):899. doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-13315-5.
Unintentional injuries among adolescents constitute a significant public health problem globally. Injured adolescents may face negative outcomes ranging from poor academic performance to short- and long-term physical and psychosocial health struggles, and even death. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and describe the correlates and most frequent causes of injuries among school-going adolescents in three West African countries - Benin, Ghana, and Liberia.
We analysed self-reported data provided by 8,912 school-going adolescents who participated in the Global School-based Student Health Survey in Ghana (2012), Benin (2016), and Liberia (2017). Students responded to questions on sociodemographic factors, family involvement factors, mental health factors, school environment factors and injury behaviours.
The overall 12-month prevalence estimate of serious injuries in adolescents was 40.9% (Benin = 27.3%; Ghana = 46.1%; Liberia = 49.2%). The most frequently reported injury type was a broken bone or dislocated joint (33% in Benin), cuts or stab wounds (31.7% in Ghana), and non-specified injuries (35.2% in Liberia). Prevalence of serious injuries was higher among males and increased with age. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, interpersonal aggression outside the family context (bullying victimisation, engaging in physical fights, and having been physically attacked) emerged as key correlates of increased odds of serious injuries.
The relatively higher prevalence estimates of serious injury reported in this study underscore the need for the included countries to develop interventions aimed at reducing and preventing physical injuries among adolescents.
青少年意外伤害是全球一个重大的公共卫生问题。受伤的青少年可能会面临各种不良后果，从学业成绩下降到短期和长期的身体和心理社会健康问题，甚至死亡。本研究旨在估计三个西非国家（贝宁、加纳和利比里亚）在校青少年受伤的发生率，并描述其相关因素和最常见的原因。
我们分析了在加纳（2012 年）、贝宁（2016 年）和利比里亚（2017 年）参与全球学校学生健康调查的 8912 名在校青少年自我报告的数据。学生们回答了关于社会人口因素、家庭参与因素、心理健康因素、学校环境因素和伤害行为的问题。
青少年 12 个月内严重受伤的总体发生率估计为 40.9%（贝宁为 27.3%，加纳为 46.1%，利比里亚为 49.2%）。最常报告的受伤类型是骨折或关节脱位（贝宁为 33%）、割伤或刺伤（加纳为 31.7%）和未特指的损伤（利比里亚为 35.2%）。严重受伤的发生率在男性中较高，并随年龄增长而增加。在多变量逻辑回归分析中，家庭以外的人际攻击（被欺凌、身体打架和被人身攻击）是严重受伤几率增加的关键相关因素。
本研究报告的严重受伤发生率相对较高，突显了上述国家需要制定干预措施，以减少和预防青少年的身体受伤。
