Epidemiology of Fall Injury in Rural Bangladesh.

Globally, falls are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths, with 80% occurring in low-and middle-income countries. The overall objective of this study is to describe the burden and risk factors of falls in rural Bangladesh. In 2013, a large household survey covering a population of 1,169,593 was conducted in seven rural sub-districts of Bangladesh to assess the burden of all injuries, including falls. The recall periods for non-fatal and fatal injuries were six and 12 months, respectively. Descriptive, bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted. The rates of non-fatal and fatal falls were 36.3 per 1000 and 5 per 100,000 population, respectively. The rates of both fatal and non-fatal falls were highest among the elderly. The risk of non-fatal falls was higher at extremes of age. Lower limb and waist injuries were frequent following a fall. Head injuries were frequent among infants (35%), while lower limb and waist injuries were frequent among the elderly (>65 years old). Injuries to all body parts (except the waist) were most frequent among men. More than half of all non-fatal falls occurred in a home environment. The injury patterns and risk factors of non-fatal falls differ by sociodemographic factors.

Pattern of Road Traffic Injuries in Rural Bangladesh: Burden Estimates and Risk Factors.

Globally, road traffic injury (RTI) causes 1.3 million deaths annually. Almost 90% of all RTI deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. RTI is one of the leading causes of death in Bangladesh; the World Health Organization estimated that it kills over 21,000 people in the country annually. This study describes the current magnitude and risk factors of RTI for different age groups in rural Bangladesh. A household census was carried out in 51 unions of seven sub-districts situated in the north and central part of Bangladesh between June and November 2013, covering 1.2 million individuals. Trained data collectors collected information on fatal and nonfatal RTI events through face-to-face interviews using a set of structured pre-tested questionnaires. The recall periods for fatal and non-fatal RTI were one year and six months, respectively. The mortality and morbidity rates due to RTI were 6.8/100,000 population/year and 889/100,000 populations/six months, respectively. RTI mortality and morbidity rates were significantly higher among males compared to females. Deaths and morbidities due to RTI were highest among those in the 25-64 years age group. A higher proportion of morbidity occurred among vehicle passengers (34%) and pedestrians (18%), and more than one-third of the RTI mortality occurred among pedestrians. Twenty percent of all nonfatal RTIs were classified as severe injuries. RTI is a major public health issue in rural Bangladesh. Immediate attention is needed to reduce preventable deaths and morbidities in rural Bangladesh.

The Burden of Suicide in Rural Bangladesh: Magnitude and Risk Factors.

The aim of the paper is to quantify the burden and risk factors of fatal and non-fatal suicidal behaviors in rural Bangladesh. A census was carried out in seven sub-districts encompassing 1.16 million people. Face-to-face interviews were conducted at the household level. Descriptive analyses were done to quantify the burden and Poisson regression was run to determine on risk factors. The estimated rates of fatal and non-fatal suicide were 3.29 and 9.86 per 100,000 person years (PY) observed, respectively. The risk of suicide was significantly higher by 6.31 times among 15-17 and 4.04 times among 18-24 olds compared to 25-64 years old. Married adolescents were 22 times more likely to commit suicide compared to never-married people. Compared to Chandpur/Comilla district, the risk of suicide was significantly higher in Narshingdi. Students had significantly lower risk of non-fatal suicidal behavior compared to skilled laborers. The risk of non-fatal suicidal behavior was lower in Sherpur compared to Chandpur/Comilla. Among adolescents, unskilled laborers were 16 times more likely to attempt suicide than students. The common methods for fatal and non-fatal suicidal behaviors were hanging and poisoning. Suicide is a major public health problem in Bangladesh that needs to be addressed with targeted interventions.