Due to the lack of valid injury data, the objective of this study was to assess
the injury morbidity and mortality in a local community of Bangladesh. A population-based
survey of 3,258 households was conducted in 1996. The information
was collected by trained field-level health workers using three pretested
structured forms. The estimated crude morbidity from injuries was 311 per
1,000 population per year, and injury accounted for 13% of all morbidity. The
children and old-age groups experienced higher injury rates than others, and
male children aged 5–15 years had the highest incidence rates (546/1,000 person-years).
Falls and cutting injuries tended to be the most frequently (62.4%)
observed types of injuries in this survey. The home (42%) and workplace (42%)
were where most of the injuries occurred, and the majority (70.7%) of the injuries
were minor. Of all deaths, mortality from injuries was 2.9%, and drowning
(27.8%) and homicide (16.7%) were found as common forms of injury-causing
deaths. This study invites more detailed investigation on injury morbidity and
mortality.