Epidemiology of injuries among elderly in an urban Kazakhstani setting: a descriptive study

Tuesday, 19 August 2014
Exhibit hall (Dena'ina Center)
Aidos Tlemissov, MD , Semey State Medical University, Semey, Kazakhstan
Tolkyn Bulegenov, PhD , Semey State Medical University, Semey, Kazakhstan
Ayan Myssayev, PhD , Semey State Medical University, Semey, Kazakhstan
Yelzhan Manarbekov, MD , Semey State Medical University, Semey, Kazakhstan
Askar Bukatov, MD , Semey State Medical University, Semey, Kazakhstan
Andrej M Grjibovski, PhD , Northern State Medical University, Arkhangelsk, Russia
INTRODUCTION:  The incidence of injuries in Kazakhstan greatly exceeds the corresponding numbers from most developed countries representing a serious public health problem. Elderly in Kazakhstan face increased risk of injuries due to increasingly active life style, more traffic, less social support during the period of transition combined with gradual decrease in motor and cognitive functions. However, little is known about the epidemiology of injuries in Kazakhstan. The aim of this descriptive study is to present epidemiology of injuries among elderly in a typical urban Kazakhstani setting.

METHODS:  All injuries occurred in individuals aged 60 years or older between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2012 and registered in the medical facilities of the Semey municipality were included. We studied distribution of injuries by causes, localization, nationality, gender, and where the patients got injured

RESULTS:  Altogether, there were 6065 injuries (4065 or 67.0% among women) during the three years. The age ranged from 60 to 108 years. By cause, most injuries were a result of falls (W00-W19, 82.2%) followed by exposure to inanimate mechanical forces (W20-W49, 7.7%) and injuries of pedestrians in traffic accidents (1.5%). Categories S50-S59 (injuries to the elbow and forearm), S40-S49 (injuries to the shoulder and upper arm) and S80-S89 (injuries to the knee and lower leg) comprised 17.3%, 15.5% and 14.6% of all injuries, respectively. Fifty percent of all injuries occurred among ethnic Russians while 47.4% of injuries occurred in ethnic Kazakhs. Most injuries (51.9%) occurred at home, on the street (39.4%) and in yards next to home (5.2%).

CONCLUSIONS: This descriptive study is among the first presenting the epidemiology of injuries in urban Kazakhstani setting. The results can be used for development of preventive strategies particularly addressing the risk of falls with special emphasis on women and home environment.

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