Prevalence of Head Injury Among Trauma Patients at Debre Tabor Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, North Central Ethiopia

Background: Head injury is one of the most common reasons for patient admission and death in surgical units of Ethiopian hospitals, but little is known about the problem in North-central Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the magnitude and associated factors of head injury at Debre Tabor Teaching and Referral Hospital in south Gondar zone, North-central Ethiopia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 370 trauma patients at Debre Tabor Teaching and Referral Hospital from November 1 to December 30, 2019, using a systematic random sampling technique. The data were collected through a face-to-face interview. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 23. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with head injury. P-value < 0.05 was used to declare statistical significance. Results: The mean (±SD) age of patients was 41.4 (± 11.6) years. The prevalence of head injury was 39.7%, 95% CI (34.9– 44.9%). Two hundred sixty-five (72%) were male and 259 (70%) of all trauma patients were from rural residents. The study also found that younger age (20– 24 years) [AOR=1.2; 95% CI (1.29– 8.86)], being male [(AOR=2.02; 95% CI (1.31– 6.24)], alcohol use [(AOR=6.31; 95% CI (2.03– 16.08)], and rural residence [(AOR= 1.40; 95% CI (1.13– 6.94)] were the factors associated with head injury. Conclusion: Like other studies done in Ethiopia, head injury is a major problem in the study area. The study also revealed that socio-demographic and behavioral factors are mainly associated with head injury. Therefore, appropriate prevention strategies should be devised and implemented against the contributing factors both at the individual and community level to minimize the risk of head injury.