@article{ref1,
title="One-year outcomes of traumatic injuries among survivors in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study on the employment outcomes and functioning state",
journal="Trauma surgery and acute care open",
year="2024",
author="Ahmed, Ansha Nega and Lysaght, Rosemary and Addissie, Adamu and Zewdie, Ayalew and Finlayson, Marcia",
volume="9",
number="1",
pages="e001209-e001209",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Traumatic injury is one of the top public health challenges globally. Injury survivors often experience poor health and functioning and restricted participation in employment. In Ethiopia, there is a paucity of evidence about the long-term consequences of injuries, particularly about their employment outcomes and disability status. This study characterizes injury survivors by their preinjury status, injury characteristics, postinjury employment outcomes and disability status 1 year post injury. <br><br>METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted on injury survivors who received services from a large public hospital in Addis Ababa. Medical records of all emergency room patients who visited the hospital within a 3-month period were reviewed to identify those who were eligible. A structured questionnaire was completed using a telephone interview. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the outcomes. <br><br>RESULTS: Of the 254 participants, 78% were men, 48% were young adults (age 25-39 years), 41% were injured by road traffic collision, 52% were admitted to the hospital for up to a week and only 16% received compensation for the injury. Before the injury, 87% were working in manual labor. One-year after the injury, the total return to work (RTW) rate was 59%; 61% of participants experienced some level of disability, 33% had at least one type of chronic illness and 56% reported challenges of physical stressors when attempting to RTW. Among the 150 who returned to work, 46% returned within 12 weeks, 78% to the same employer and most received support from multiple sources, including community-level institutions (88%) and families/friends (67%). <br><br>CONCLUSION: Traumatic injury substantially impacted the employment outcomes of survivors and contributed to increased disability in Ethiopia. This study lays a foundation for future research and contributes crucial evidence for advocacy to improve injury prevention and trauma rehabilitation in low and middle-income contexts.   LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2397-5776",
doi="10.1136/tsaco-2023-001209",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/tsaco-2023-001209"
}