Epidemiology of Injuries in the Philippines: An Analysis of Secondary Data

Abstract

Background. Injury surveillance is viewed as an important component of injury prevention. Several data systems in the Philippines exist but have not been analyzed together. Analyzing these readily available data can guide policy making.

Objective. This report aimed to describe the epidemiology of injuries in the Philippines using secondary datasets.

Method. Death data of 2013 from the Philippines Statistics Authority and injury surveillance data of 2014 from the Department of Health were obtained and recoded. Summary statistics were generated.

Results. Injured persons mainly come from the young age group. There were a higher number of males compared to females. Provincial variations in death rates for specific injury types existed. There did not seem to be an obvious pattern in injury occurrence according to month and time of day. High numbers of injuries were reported during daytime but admission and death rates peak at night. Injuries were shown to be an anatomically heterogeneous group with dominance in superficial injuries, head trauma, and hand fractures.

Conclusion. Analysis of secondary datasets revealed the epidemiology of injuries in the Philippines. Results have implications in health policy and injury prevention.