Background The updated epidemiology of injuries at the national and sub-national levels are required for policymakers to effectively handle the burden of injuries. This paper aimed to assess the incidence and risk factors of different injuries in Iran based on a recent national survey.

Objective To identify and target high-risk populations, such as individuals who engage in risky behaviors for interventions

Methodology Data from Iran Stepwise approach to surveillance (STEPS) Survey 2021, a population-based study in urban and rural areas of Iran’s 31 provinces. A multistage clustered probability design and weighting adjustments were used to select eligible individuals and generate estimations.

Result Data from 27,874 participants of the STEPS survey were assessed, of which 1538 (5.5%, 95% CI: [5.2–5.8]) reported having an injury in the past 12 months. Falls (44.4%) were the most common cause of injury, followed by road traffic injury (21.7%) and exposure to mechanical forces (16.5%). Except for falls and burns, males had a higher proportion of all types of injuries. Logistic regression analysis showed that being male (OR: 1.7, [1.5, 2.0]) and being an occasional or heavy alcohol drinker (OR: 2.0, [1.3, 3.0] and OR: 2.7, [1.7, 4.1] respectively) were significant risk factors associated with road traffic injuries. Seatbelt use was 90.0% among both drivers and front-seat passengers, while the use of safety car seats for children was as low as 9.4%. Injury incidence varied significantly among provinces, with the highest incidence among males observed in Razavi Khorasan (11.2%) and among females observed in Tehran (12.0%).

Conclusion This study investigated the updated epidemiology of injuries in Iran and revealed socioeconomic and geographic disparities across country. This epidemiological information can be used to modify injury prevention programs.