Mapping Regional Disparities: A Comparative Analysis Of Traumatic Injury Burden Across Saudi Arabia's Administrative Regions

Abstract

Background: Traumatic injuries represent a significant public health burden in Saudi Arabia. Effective policy intervention under Vision 2030 requires a precise, subnational understanding of this burden, as national-level data often masks critical regional disparities.

Objective: This study aimed to identify and compare the relative burden of key traumatic injuries—road traffic accidents (RTAs), falls, burns, and violent injuries (stabbings/gunshots)—across Saudi Arabia's thirteen administrative regions.

Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional analysis was conducted using 2023-2024 data from the Saudi Open Data Platform and population statistics from the General Authority for Statistics. Incidence rates per 100,000 population were calculated for each injury type and region. Regions were ranked to identify high-burden "hotspots," and Pearson's correlation analysis was performed to examine relationships between injury types.

Results: The analysis revealed distinct regional hotspots: Al Baha and Najran for RTAs; the Northern Borders region for falls; Jazan and Asir for violent injuries; and Makkah as a profound outlier for burns. Correlation analysis revealed a very strong positive relationship between RTAs and burns (r = 0.824), suggesting a shared "urban trauma" etiology. Conversely, violent injuries showed negligible correlation with other injury types, indicating unique socio-cultural drivers.

Conclusion: The traumatic injury burden in Saudi Arabia is not uniform but is characterized by distinct regional patterns driven by different factors. A one-size-fits-all national strategy is inadequate. The findings mandate a precision public health approach, with targeted interventions for specific regional risk profiles—such as integrated urban safety for RTAs and burns, and localized, community-based strategies for violence prevention—to effectively reduce injuries in line with Vision 2030 goals.