Objectives: To describe the prevalence of unintentional injuries in children and adolescents aged 6-18 years and to identify factors associated with a greater risk of suffering accidents.
Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted with data collected from three consecutive Spanish National Health Surveys. Data were analyzed using multivariate logistic models.
Results: The reported prevalence of unintentional injuries in children and adolescents decreased from 12.8% in 2003 to 8.7% in 2011. Most of these injuries occurred at the "workplace or place of study" and "on the street". Boys suffered unintentional injuries 1.64 more times than girls (OR = 1.64; 95% CI 1.48-1.82). Children aged 11-14 years (OR = 1.22; 95% CI 1.09-1.37) and adolescents aged 15-18 years (OR = 1.24; 95% CI 1.07-1.42) had a higher probability of reporting an unintentional injury when compared to children aged 6-10 years. Multivariate analysis showed that the adjusted odds of injuries decreased in 2006 (OR = 0.87; 95% CI 0.77-0.97) and in 2011 (OR = 0.66; 95% CI 0.57-0.76).
Conclusions: The odds of overall UI are being gradually reduced over the years. Prevention policies are effective and it is necessary to continue promoting and motivating prevention actions aimed at the family, the school, and the community.
Keywords: Adolescent health; Child health; Epidemiology; Injury prevention; Prevalence; Risk factors.