The Epidemiology of Poisoning in the Central Region of Iran: A Cross-sectional Study of Main Determinants

Background Poisoning is one of the main medical emergencies. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of poisoning and factors influencing intentional poisoning in Yazd, Iran. Methods In this cross-sectional study, data from 456 poisoning cases recorded at the Emergency Medical Services were included. Duplicates were removed based on patients' names and national codes. Frequency and percentage were used to describe the data. Binary logistic regression was employed to examine the factors influencing intentional poisoning. Results Of all cases, 231 (50.7%) were women and 182 (39.9%) were in the 25-55 age group. Medication poisoning accounted for 290 (63.6%) of the cases. The incidence rate of poisoning was 36.98 per 100,000 people, with a case fatality rate of 1.53%. Women were 2.11 times more likely to experience intentional poisoning than men (OR=2.11, 95%CI: 1.34-3.32), and individuals with a university degree had 3.72 times higher odds of intentional poisoning compared to illiterates (OR=3.72, 95%CI: 1.39-9.88). Conclusion Intentional poisoning was found to be more prevalent among women, young adults, and individuals with higher education levels, the majority of which were caused by medications and illicit drugs. Appropriate health policies and public education programs for high-risk groups are needed to reduce the incidence and mortality.