23 Incidence of injuries in Iran; findings of steps survey 2021

<h3>Background</h3> The updated epidemiology of injuries at the national and sub-national levels are required for policymakers to effectively handle the burden of injuries. This paper aimed to assess the incidence and risk factors of different injuries in Iran based on a recent national survey. <h3>Objective</h3> To identify and target high-risk populations, such as individuals who engage in risky behaviors for interventions <h3>Methodology</h3> Data from Iran Stepwise approach to surveillance (STEPS) Survey 2021, a population-based study in urban and rural areas of Iran’s 31 provinces. A multistage clustered probability design and weighting adjustments were used to select eligible individuals and generate estimations. <h3>Result</h3> Data from 27,874 participants of the STEPS survey were assessed, of which 1538 (5.5%, 95% CI: [5.2–5.8]) reported having an injury in the past 12 months. Falls (44.4%) were the most common cause of injury, followed by road traffic injury (21.7%) and exposure to mechanical forces (16.5%). Except for falls and burns, males had a higher proportion of all types of injuries. Logistic regression analysis showed that being male (OR: 1.7, [1.5, 2.0]) and being an occasional or heavy alcohol drinker (OR: 2.0, [1.3, 3.0] and OR: 2.7, [1.7, 4.1] respectively) were significant risk factors associated with road traffic injuries. Seatbelt use was 90.0% among both drivers and front-seat passengers, while the use of safety car seats for children was as low as 9.4%. Injury incidence varied significantly among provinces, with the highest incidence among males observed in Razavi Khorasan (11.2%) and among females observed in Tehran (12.0%). <h3>Conclusion</h3> This study investigated the updated epidemiology of injuries in Iran and revealed socioeconomic and geographic disparities across country. This epidemiological information can be used to modify injury prevention programs.