Introduction Injuries are one of public health priorities in Iran. Information on injuries in children and its related factors are less well known. The aim of this study was to describe the socioeconomic factors in injured children in Zanjan, Iran.

Methods This descriptive study was carried out on a random sample of 638 injured children aged 15 or less who were admitted to the emergency units of Valiasr and Moosavi Hospitals from June 2008 to March 2009 in Zanjan. Information on demographics, and socioeconomic factors such as parental education and family income was gathered.

Results The major causes of injuries were motor vehicle crashes (36%), falls (34%), falling objects (13%), burns (12%) and poisoning (6%). Three hundred ninety one (61.3%) of injured children were male and 247 (38.7%) were female. The mean age of the injured children was 7.8±4.2 years. Motor vehicle crashes were more common among older children, while burns and poisoning were common in younger children. Most injuries in boys than girls occurred between 10 and 15 years old (45% vs 30%, p<0.0001). Injuries were more prevalent in children whose father was a manual worker or mother was a housewife. The level of education of both parents was low in most cases. More than half injuries occurred for children who were living in a low-income family. These patterns were observed for all types of injuries.

Conclusion The results highlight the need for targeted injury prevention efforts among children and families with a low socioeconomic status.