Urbanization and domestic accidents in an Iranian community

Background: Accidents, such as domestic accidents, and the resulting injuries are presently a matter of concern in communities. Some factors such as urbanization cause an increase in the incidence of accidents for recognized and unrecognized reasons. The aim of the present study was to investigate the incidence of domestic accidents among a group of families who had migrated to the determined urban aria (Rafsanjan County, Kerman Province, Iran) and compare the results with that of urban families in the last year. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, we compared the 1-year incidence rate of domestic accidents among 115 families who had migrated to Rafsanjan County from rural areas and 100 families who had lived in Rafsanjan throughout their life. Data were collected during 3 years (2009-2012) using the study checklist during interview sessions. Families were recruited via urban health centers. All indoor accidents and injuries which were serious enough to require medical intervention were considered as domestic accidents. Data were analyzed in SPSS software using parametric and non-parametric tests. Results: The mean age of injured individuals in migrated and urban families were 35.9 ± 18.7 and 30.7 ± 20.6, respectively. In addition, 22 cases of injuries were reported among urban families (1-year incidence rate = 220 cases per 1000 families) and 37 cases were reported among migrated families (1-year incidence rate = 322 cases per 1000 families). There was a significant difference between these incidence rates (P < 0.01). Conclusions: Our finding showed that individuals who migrate to an urban area are at a higher risk of experiencing domestic accidents compared to those who are familiar with the urban lifestyle. This might be due to the novelty of the city lifestyle for those who have immigrated to the urban area from rural regions. More investigations are needed to shed more light on this phenomenon.