Morbidity due trauma in children of the community of Paraisopolis, São Paulo, Brazil

OBJECTIVE To identify the factors that determine unintentional injuries in children living in the community of Paraisopolis, in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS A cross-sectional and non-controlled study. Data collected during 4 consecutive months through questionnaires filled out for the Einstein Program in Paraisopolis Community included identification of the patient and his/her family, scholarity level, housing conditions, storage of hazardous products, access to the streets and concrete slab ceilings, supervision, and trauma mechanism involved. The observed data were treated as absolute and relative frequencies; χ(2), Fisher's exact test, Student's t test, and Mann-Whitney's tests were implemented, with a significance level of 5% (p<0.05). RESULTS A total of 1,490 questionnaires were analyzed. There was a predominance of trauma within boys (59.6%) and the medium age was 5.2 years. The predominant educational level of the parents was incomplete junior school education. The main caregiver identified was the mother (69.4%). Among the children that suffered trauma, 56.4% belonged to large families (≥ 6 people), lived in houses up to three rooms, and a family income up to R$ 1,000.00 (76.6%). Easy access to hazardous materials was considerable and free access to concrete slab ceilings was reported in 92.8% of the cases. The main trauma mechanisms were falls and burns. In this study, the child victim of a fall was aged under 5 years. CONCLUSION Small children that live in a hazardous environment have a significant tendency to suffering trauma.