A descriptive epidemiological study on the patterns of occupational injuries in a coastal area and a mountain area in Southern China

Abstract

Objectives

This study compared patterns of occupational injuries in two different areas, coastal (industrial) and mountain (agricultural), in Southern China to provide information for development of occupational injury prevention measures in China.

Design

Descriptive epidemiological study.

Setting

Data were obtained from the Hospital Injury Surveillance System based on hospital data collected from 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2008.

Participants

Cases of occupational injury, defined as injury that occurred when the activity indicated was work.

Outcome measures

Distribution and differences of patterns of occupational injuries between the two areas.

Results

Men were more likely than women to experience occupational injuries, and there was no difference in the two areas (p=0.112). In the coastal area, occupational injury occurred more in the 21–30-year age group, but in the mountain area, it was the 41–50-year age group (p<0.001). Occupational injuries in the two areas differed by location of hometown, education and occupation (all p<0.001). Occupational injuries peaked differently in the month of the year in the two areas (p<0.001). Industrial and construction areas were the most frequent locations where occupational injuries occurred (p<0.001). Most occupational injuries were unintentional and not serious, and patients could go home after treatment. The two areas also differed in external causes and consequences of occupational injuries.

Conclusions

The differing patterns of occupational injuries in the coastal and mountain areas in Southern China suggest that different preventive measures should be developed. Results are relevant to other developing countries that have industrial and agricultural areas.

Article summary

Article focus

• Occupational injury is a serious problem causing 350 000 deaths and 270 million serious non-fatal injuries globally every year.

• This study is the first attempt in China to compare the characteristics and risk factors of occupational injuries in a coastal area (industrial) and a mountain area (agricultural).

• Occupational injury patterns were found to differ in the two areas, in terms of location of hometown, education, occupation, month of the year, location of injuries, external causes and consequences.

Key messages

• Our findings provide important information for developing occupational injury prevention programmes in industrial and agricultural areas.

• Accumulation of occupational injury studies steadily builds the epidemiological information base on which to develop interventions.

• Identification of the local geographic patterns of occupational injuries helps to import existing proven interventions from other similar geographic areas.

Strengths and limitations of this study

• The Hospital Injury Surveillance System that we established in Southern China has started to produce useful data for occupational injury prevention.

• The system still lacks important useful information such as full occupational history, evaluation measures of data accuracy and completeness, and rate information.