Causes and consequences of head injuries among rural population hospitalized in the Ward for Multi-Organ Injuries. I. Demographic and social structure.

The main objective of the study was the analysis of types, causes and consequences of head injuries among patients treated in the Ward for Multi-Organ Injuries during the period 1999-2002. The study aimed at the recognition of the health situation and selected demographic traits of people who had sustained head injuries. The authors' research tool - a Scientific-Research Protocol - was applied in the study. The survey covered 265 people, including 204 males (77.0%) and 61 females (23.0%) hospitalized due to head injuries; 90 people, i.e. 34% of the total population examined, were rural inhabitants 82.2% were males and 17.8% females. Thus, among the population examined the percentage of males was considerably higher than that of females, both in the sub-populations of urban and rural inhabitants. The percentage of people aged 65 and over was higher among the rural population, compared to urban inhabitants (21.1% and 8.0%, respectively), while the percentage of patients aged under 35 was lower (30.0% and 48.0%, respectively). A significantly higher percentage of patients living in rural areas, compared to urban inhabitants, had an elementary school or elementary vocational education level (77.8% and 46.3%, respectively). The number of patients who were never married was smaller among the rural than urban population (22.2% and 35.4%, respectively), whereas the percentage of those widowed was higher (13.3% and 2.9%, respectively). In the group of patients living in rural areas the percentages of people maintaining themselves on nonagricultural and agricultural work were similar (27.7% and 25.6%, respectively).