Background Low- and middle-income countries have a disproportionally high burden of injuries. However, the short and long-term consequences of injuries on individuals remain largely unknown. While studies have found injuries among the top three causes of death among the urban poor in Kenya, little is known about the aftermath of injury among survivors in this largely young population.

Methods The Health, Economic and Long-term Social Impact of Injuries (HEALS) Study is currently being conducted in Kenya. Adult patients at least 18 years old who are hospitalised due to injury for one day or more in Kenyatta National Hospital are recruited to the longitudinal study. Baseline interview is conducted in the hospital, and follow-up interviews, at 1, 2, 4, and 12 month after hospital discharge, are completed via phone. Baseline interview includes questions about the injury that resulted in hospitalisation, associated costs and support received. Disability is measured using WHO Disability Assessment Schedule-II (WHODAS-II) at baseline and each subsequent follow-up interview.

Results Preliminary findings of the 320 respondents who completed the baseline interview show that majority (92.8%) reported having no difficulty on all 6 domains of functioning prior to their injury (mean: 0.23, SD: 1.19). At 1 month after hospital discharge, only 4.9% respondents (n = 247) reported having no difficulty in all domains of functioning (mean: 14.39, SD: 15.97). Exploratory factor analysis will be conducted to determine if the disability measure correlate with latent general disability in this population. Distribution of the disability score will be examined by severity of injury and types of injury.

Conclusions Preliminary findings suggest high level of disability at one month after hospital discharge. Data on subsequent follow-ups will strengthen the findings on short- and long-term burden of injuries in Kenya.