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Trauma-Related Mortality among Adults in Rural Western Kenya: Characterising Deaths Using Data from a Health and Demographic Surveillance System

Odhiambo, Frank O.; Beynon, Caryl M.; Ogwang, Sheila; Hamel, Mary J.; Howland, Olivia; van Eijk, Anne M.; Norton, Robyn; Amek, Nyaguara; Slutsker, Laurence; Laserson, Kayla F.; De Cock, Kevin M.; Phillips-Howard, Penelope A.

Trauma-Related Mortality among Adults in Rural Western Kenya: Characterising Deaths Using Data from a Health and Demographic Surveillance System Thumbnail


Authors

Frank O. Odhiambo

Caryl M. Beynon

Sheila Ogwang

Mary J. Hamel

Anne M. van Eijk

Robyn Norton

Nyaguara Amek

Laurence Slutsker

Kayla F. Laserson

Kevin M. De Cock

Penelope A. Phillips-Howard



Abstract

Background
Information on trauma-related deaths in low and middle income countries is limited but needed to target public health interventions. Data from a health and demographic surveillance system (HDSS) were examined to characterise such deaths in rural western Kenya.

Methods And Findings
Verbal autopsy data were analysed. Of 11,147 adult deaths between 2003 and 2008, 447 (4%) were attributed to trauma; 71% of these were in males. Trauma contributed 17% of all deaths in males 15 to 24 years; on a population basis mortality rates were greatest in persons over 65 years. Intentional causes accounted for a higher proportion of male than female deaths (RR 2.04, 1.37-3.04) and a higher proportion of deaths of those aged 15 to 65 than older people. Main causes in males were assaults (n=79, 25%) and road traffic injuries (n=47, 15%); and falls for females (n=17, 13%). A significantly greater proportion of deaths from poisoning (RR 5.0, 2.7-9.4) and assault (RR 1.8, 1.2-2.6) occurred among regular consumers of alcohol than among non-regular drinkers. In multivariate analysis, males had a 4-fold higher risk of death from trauma than females (Adjusted Relative Risk; ARR 4.0; 95% CI 1.7-9.4); risk of a trauma death rose with age, with the elderly at 7-fold higher risk (ARR 7.3, 1.1-49.2). Absence of care was the strongest predictor of trauma death (ARR 12.2, 9.4-15.8). Trauma-related deaths were higher among regular alcohol drinkers (ARR 1.5, 1.1-1.9) compared with non-regular drinkers.

Conclusions
While trauma accounts for a small proportion of deaths in this rural area with a high prevalence of HIV, TB and malaria, preventive interventions such as improved road safety, home safety strategies for the elderly, and curbing harmful use of alcohol, are available and could help diminish this burden. Improvements in systems to record underlying causes of death from trauma are required.

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Sep 25, 2013
Online Publication Date Nov 7, 2013
Publication Date 2013-11
Deposit Date Oct 16, 2023
Publicly Available Date Nov 27, 2023
Journal PLoS ONE
Electronic ISSN 1932-6203
Publisher Public Library of Science
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 8
Issue 11
Article Number e79840
DOI https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0079840
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/23560390
Publisher URL https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0079840
PMID 24244569

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