Abstract:
Objective To analyze the characteristics and changing trends of injury deaths among children under 18 years old in Anhui province from 2013 to 2024, and provide evidence for the improvement of injury prevention and control in children.
Methods The data were collected from 24 provincial-level death surveillance points in Anhui. Software R4.5.1 was used to describe the distribution of injury deaths, and software Joinpoint 4.9.1.0 was used to calculate the average annual percentage change (AAPC) for analyzing the trend of injury mortality.
Results The standardized mortality rate (SMR) of injury decreased from 17.77/100 000 in 2013 to 9.75/100 000 in 2024 in children aged <18 years in Anhui (AAPC=−5.59%, P < 0.001). From 2013 to 2024, the SMRs of injury showed downward trends in both boys and girls in Anhui (AAPC: −7.09% for boys and −3.07% for girls, both P < 0.05). The crude mortality rates (CMRs) of injury in children in age groups <1 year, 1−<5 years, 5−<10 years, and 10−<15 years all exhibited decreasing trends (AAPC: −7.41%, −9.49%, −7.92%, and −4.05%, all P < 0.05). Overall, the CMR of injury in boys was higher than that in girls (χ2=273.303, P < 0.001), and the CMR of injury in rural children was higher than that in urban children (χ2=57.501, P < 0.001). The CMR of injury in children in southern, central, and northern Anhui differed (χ2=52.844, P < 0.001), with significant differences. The top five causes of injury death in children aged <18 years old were drowning (36.64%), road traffic accident (26.39%), fall (8.45%), suffocation (6.96%), and suicide (6.87%). The SMRs of suffocation, road traffic injury, and drowning all showed decreasing trends (AAPC; −9.98%, −8.83%, and −8.09%, all P < 0.001), while the SMR of suicide showed an increasing trend (AAPC=10.79%, P < 0.001). Injury was the leading cause of death in children age <18 years. The proportion of injury deaths in children aged 10−<18 years showed an increasing trend. The leading cause of injury death in those aged <1 year was suffocation, while it was drowning in those aged 1−<18 years. Suicide was the third leading cause of injury death in children aged 10−<18 years.
Conclusion The mortality rate of injury in children under 18 years old showed a downward trend in Anhui. Although it is expected to meet the standards by 2030, injury remains the leading cause of death in children, with gender, age, urban−rural status, and area specific differences. Special attention should be paid to boys, children in rural areas, and those living in northern Anhui. Targeted prevention and control measures should be taken according to the main types of injury in children in different age groups.