Effects of the Safe Community Program in Kashmar on injury reduction and its comparison with that in other districts in Iran

This study was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of a safe community program, as an international community-based program, for injury prevention and safety promotion, in Kashmar

In this retrospective study, the data on injured patients consulting hospital emergency wards in Kashmar and 44 other districts (as control) for a period of 3 years (March 20 2005 to March 19, 2008) were analyzed and compared.

The number of injuries/100,000 population in Kashmar was 4654.6, 4570.9, and 4949.2 in March 2005-2006, 2006-2007, and 2007-2008, respectively. The corresponding figures (means) for the control districts were 822.7, 1130.0 and 1245.5. The injury- related fatality rate in the emergency ward for the 3 periods was 57.6, 52.9, and 44.2 per 100,000 in Kashmar and 12.2, 13, and 11.9 per 100,000 in the control districts. The injury rate showed an increase and the injury- related fatality rate showed a decrease in both Kashmar and the control districts over the 3 year period, but there was a statistically significant difference between the decreased injury-related fatality rate in Kashmar (p<0.0001).

The Kashmar International Safe Community Program resulted in no significant decrease in the rate of injuries in Kashmar. However, as compared to the control distrcts, it caused a decrease in the injury-related fatality rate over the 3-year period. Long-term studies are necessary to confirm these results.