The Incidence Rate and Causes of Accidents among the Students of Shiraz Guidance Schools

Introduction: The great population of about 16 million students in our country and their health problems require more attention to the health of students. Students due to low age and consequently lack of adequate experience are exposed to various types of accidents in schools. Accidents are the leading cause of death in 5 to 17 year old children. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence rate of accidents and their causes in Shiraz guidance schools. Method: In this study about 7137 guidance schools students in four educational districts of Shiraz were randomly selected. Data were collected by a questionnaire. Results: The total accident incidence rate was 1.2% with 0.6% and 1.49% in girls and boys respectively. The highest incidence rate was in winter (0.6%). Among all, 17 injured students (19.8%) were hospitalized. The highest rate of injuries was found in limbs. Conclusion: The total accident incidence rate in guidance schools of Shiraz was 1.2% that is significantly lower comparing to what have been reported in Canada (P<0.001). The highest rate of accidents in the students of grade one requires special attention to younger students in order to lead them toward low risk and healthy activities. Moreover providing adequate educational environment and training students for proper behavior at school during the break time may lead to a considerable decrease in the rate of accidents in schools.