International Journal of Epidemiology, Vol 28, 750-755, Copyright © 1999 by International Epidemiological Association
C Mock, F Acheampong, S Adjei and T Koepsell
BACKGROUND: Injury is a major public health problem in many developing
countries. Due to limitations of vital registry and health service data,
surveys are an important tool to obtain information about injury in these
countries. The value of such surveys can be limited by incomplete recall.
The most appropriate recall period to use in surveys on injury in
developing countries has not been well addressed. METHODS: A household
survey of injury in Ghana was conducted. Estimated annual non-fatal injury
incidence rates were calculated for 12 recall periods (1-12 months prior to
the interview, with each successively longer period including the preceding
shorter periods). RESULTS: There was a notable decline in the estimated
rate from 27.6 per 100 per year for a one-month recall period to 7.6 per
100 per year for a 12-month recall period (72% decline). The extent of this
decline was not influenced by age, gender, rural versus urban location, nor
by type of respondent (in- person versus proxy). Rate of decline was
influenced by severity of injury. Injuries resulting in <7 days of
disability showed an 86% decline in estimated rates from a one-month to a
12-month recall period, whereas injuries resulting in > or =30 days of
disability showed minimal decline. CONCLUSIONS: In this setting, longer
recall periods significantly underestimate the injury rate compared to
shorter recall periods. Shorter recall periods (1-3 months) should be used
when calculating the overall non-fatal injury incidence rate. However,
longer recall periods (12 months) may be safely used to obtain information
on the more severe, but less frequent, injuries.
ARTICLES
The effect of recall on estimation of incidence rates for injury in Ghana
Department of Surgery, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
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