Home accidents as important as road traffic crashes, study finds

Accidents occurring in the home are a substantial cause of non-fatal injuries requiring medical care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)—with women disproportionately affected, a new study reveals.

While global health agendas often focus on road traffic collisions (RTCs), researchers discovered that non-RTC injuries were nearly three times as common, with a prevalence of 5.6% compared to 1.7%. For non-RTC injuries, falls were the most common mechanism, with most occurring at home, but a substantial proportion also occurring on or around roads.

Homes were the most frequent location for non-RTC injuries (38.1% of non-RTC injuries occurred in the home). These were especially seen among women, for whom 51.6% of non-RTC injuries occurred at home. In contrast, men experienced more injuries at workplaces and on roads.

Researchers analyzed data from 47,747 people, aged 15 to 64, from 12 LMICs across four WHO regions—Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Guyana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nepal, São Tomé and Príncipe, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine—to understand the causes of injuries requiring medical attention.

The University of Birmingham-led international research team published its findings in the Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health.

Researchers noted that being female, married, or older was associated with a lower likelihood of being injured, while having at least primary education increased the likelihood. Urban residents had a higher injury rate than people living in rural areas.

Lead author Dr. Leila Ghalichi, from the University of Birmingham, commented, “Our findings challenge the assumption—held by many—that road traffic crashes are the greatest cause of injuries in the world. We highlight falls as the largest issue causing injuries—a factor likely to cause more issues as people age and are prone to falling.

“Falls and other non-RTC injuries, especially those occurring at home, are a substantial and neglected burden in LMICs. Women face significant risks in the domestic environment, which must be addressed through targeted prevention and health system strengthening.”

The researchers call for a broader injury prevention agenda that includes all mechanisms and settings, not just RTCs. They advocate for targeted interventions such as home safety improvements, public education, and better data collection to inform policy, identify high-risk groups, and tailor interventions accordingly.

Co-senior author, Dr. Michaela Theilman of Harvard University said, “Integrating injury surveillance and care into universal health coverage frameworks is essential. There is an urgent need to broaden the global injury prevention focus beyond RTCs to include non-RTC injuries.”

Senior author Professor Justine Davies, from the University of Birmingham, commented, “The large burden of falls on the roads is particularly concerning—these were not related to RTCs, and suggest the need for investment in infrastructure to improve road conditions for non-vehicular users. This is especially pertinent to the drive to improve active transport to help reduce obesity and overweight and assist with climate change mitigation.”

The researchers note that, with non-fatal injuries requiring medical attention affecting nearly 7% of adults annually, health systems must allocate resources for emergency, critical, and rehabilitative care, not just trauma from road accidents.

Accidents occurring in the home are a substantial cause of non-fatal injuries requiring medical care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)—with women disproportionately affected, a new study reveals.

While global health agendas often focus on road traffic collisions (RTCs), researchers discovered that non-RTC injuries were nearly three times as common, with a prevalence of 5.6% compared to 1.7%. For non-RTC injuries, falls were the most common mechanism, with most occurring at home, but a substantial proportion also occurring on or around roads.

Homes were the most frequent location for non-RTC injuries (38.1% of non-RTC injuries occurred in the home). These were especially seen among women, for whom 51.6% of non-RTC injuries occurred at home. In contrast, men experienced more injuries at workplaces and on roads.

Researchers analyzed data from 47,747 people, aged 15 to 64, from 12 LMICs across four WHO regions—Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Guyana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nepal, São Tomé and Príncipe, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine—to understand the causes of injuries requiring medical attention.

The University of Birmingham-led international research team published its findings in the Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health.

Researchers noted that being female, married, or older was associated with a lower likelihood of being injured, while having at least primary education increased the likelihood. Urban residents had a higher injury rate than people living in rural areas.

Lead author Dr. Leila Ghalichi, from the University of Birmingham, commented, “Our findings challenge the assumption—held by many—that road traffic crashes are the greatest cause of injuries in the world. We highlight falls as the largest issue causing injuries—a factor likely to cause more issues as people age and are prone to falling.

“Falls and other non-RTC injuries, especially those occurring at home, are a substantial and neglected burden in LMICs. Women face significant risks in the domestic environment, which must be addressed through targeted prevention and health system strengthening.”

The researchers call for a broader injury prevention agenda that includes all mechanisms and settings, not just RTCs. They advocate for targeted interventions such as home safety improvements, public education, and better data collection to inform policy, identify high-risk groups, and tailor interventions accordingly.

Co-senior author, Dr. Michaela Theilman of Harvard University said, “Integrating injury surveillance and care into universal health coverage frameworks is essential. There is an urgent need to broaden the global injury prevention focus beyond RTCs to include non-RTC injuries.”

Senior author Professor Justine Davies, from the University of Birmingham, commented, “The large burden of falls on the roads is particularly concerning—these were not related to RTCs, and suggest the need for investment in infrastructure to improve road conditions for non-vehicular users. This is especially pertinent to the drive to improve active transport to help reduce obesity and overweight and assist with climate change mitigation.”

The researchers note that, with non-fatal injuries requiring medical attention affecting nearly 7% of adults annually, health systems must allocate resources for emergency, critical, and rehabilitative care, not just trauma from road accidents.