Prevalence of accidental injuries incurred in high schools in Kieni west division, Nyeri North district, Kenya

Abstract

A majority of third world countries lack a comprehensive injury recording system. Injuries among students inflict direct and indirect costs which adversely affects their performance at school. This study was done to establish the prevalence of accidental injuries among students of ten secondary schools of Kieni West Division, Nyeri north district in Central province of Kenya. Cross-sectional study design was carried out with stratified random samples taken disproportionately among students from all eighty-three classes of the ten schools. Four hundred and ninety eight students were systematically randomly selected to represent each of the class in the ten schools with each class being represented by six students. Each respondent was asked to state the type, number, cause and site of accidental injuries they had incurred within a period of six months. Existing healthcare facilities and health records in the schools were examined. The principals of the participating schools were interviewed. The results of the reports elicited from the students and the principals were compared along schools' status, gender and class of respondents. The study showed that, every respondent, had at least one accidental injury, (mean 2.95 ± 0.56, n = 498) and 58.6% of these injuries had been reported to the administration for treatment. There was a positive correlation(r--0.32; p>0.05; df--10) between injury occurrence and injury reporting. The boys had a higher mean number of injuries occurrence (3.39 ± 0.65, n= 204); than the girls (2.72 ±fl.46, n=294)_ The difference in the rate of reporting between the two genders was statistically significant (t=12.7; p>0.05; df-494). The respondents from schools that were exclusively in the boarding category had the highest mean number o€ injury occurrences (3.55 ±0.74, n= 198) than the respondents from any other school category. However, there was no significant difference in the frequency o€ injury occurrences between the boys and the girls respondents from schools of different categories (7C2=0.17; p>0.05; df=3). Most of the injuries (41.7%) occurred on the legs and there was statistical independence in the site of injury on the body and the gender of the respondent (,X2=0.115; p>0.05; d-=4). Sporting activities were the most frequent causes of injuries (31.9%) among the boys while falls were the leading (32.9 %) among the girls. However, the cause of injury on the body was independent of the gender of the respondent &x.04; p>0.05; df=4). Fifty percent of the schools kept students medical records and 20% of the schools updated their records upon injuries occurrence. 70% of the schools had at least one fire extinguisher and a First -Aid kit though they were not readily accessible. The researcher recommends that high schools should reevaluate their general preparedness to cope with emergencies and specifically on handling accidental injuries. Sanatoria provision and training of health care providers should be done and First-Aid kits should be provided and restocked in all schools. Planning of school's physical environment should be improved in order to reduce occurrence of injury. Further studies on injuries observed among stints, their management, seasonal and diurnal variations are recommended.