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National Health And Morbidity Survey 2016 : Maternal And Child Health (MCH) Volume II : Findings

4.4 Child Injuries

Contributors : Norhafizah Mohd Sahril, Sayan Pan, Fazly Azry Abdul Aziz, Azriman Rosman, Rozita Ab. Rahman,
Norazizah Ibrahim Wong, Tahir Aris

4.4.1. Introduction

Injury to young children is a public health problem. The WHO has estimated that nearly 90% of injuries
to children are unintentional or “accidental”. Around 830,000 children die from such injuries every
1
year, nearly 2300 each day . It was found that for every death due to injury, there were several
2
thousand more children who survived with varying degrees of disability . Children are particularly
vulnerable to injury because of their size, growth and development, inexperience and natural curiosity.
The most common causes of childhood injuries are drowning, falls, fires or burns, poisoning,
suffocation, and transportation-related injuries. 3,4

4.4.2. Findings

This study is the first population-based study to assess child injury at home, outdoors and at
caretakers. This survey captured information on child injury aged 12-59 months. Overall, 3.8% of
children aged 12 to 59 months were reported to have injuries in the last one year preceding the
survey. Prevalence of child injury was higher among boys (4.4%) as compared to girls (3.2%).
Children aged 24-59 months reported to have higher prevalence 4.2% as compared to children aged
12-23 months (2.9%). Among the various ethnicities, Chinese were reported as having the highest
prevalence of child injuries (6.2%), while Other Bumiputera was (4.1%), Malays (3.4%), Indians
(2.5%), and others (1.4%) respectively (Table 4.4.4.2).

By citizenship, Malaysians were reported to have a higher prevalence of child injuries (3.9%), followed
by non-Malaysian (1.6%) and permanent residents (0.6%) respectively. The prevalence of child
injuries among children of married mothers was 3.9% compared to prevalence of child injury among
children of separated mothers; 1.5%.

Children of parents (both mothers and fathers) from higher educational level (4.9%) were reported to
have higher prevalence of injury compared to those with lower educational status. Children of mothers
who were employed in private sectors had the highest prevalence of child injury; 6.1%. Children from
households earning more than RM5000 per month were reported to have a higher prevalence of
injuries (5.9%). The majority of children (80.5%) sustained injuries inside the house, 13.3% outdoors,
6.2% from other sites and there were no cases reported from caretaker facilities. A significantly higher
percentage of children from urban areas sustained injuries in the past one year (2.9%, 96% CI 2.00-
4.10) compared to those from rural areas (1.0%, 95% CI 0.80-1.20).

4.4.3. Conclusion

The prevalence of injury among children 12 to 59 months was 3.8%. In general, injury happened
among children from higher socioeconomic status, higher among boys and most of the time occurred
at home.

1. Peden M, Oyegbite M, Ozanne-Smith J, et al. World Health Organization and UNICEF World Report on Child
2. Injury Prevention. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2008.
3. World Health Organization Report(2005) Child and adolescent injury prevention: A global to action
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. National Action Plan for Child Injury Prevention. Atlanta
(GA): CDC, NCIPC; 2012