Epidemiology of Road Traffic Crashes in Ilam Province, Iran, 2009–2013
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Mansouri Jalilian et al. BMC Res Notes (2020) 13:517 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-020-05366-x BMC Research Notes RESEARCH NOTE Open Access Epidemiology of road trafc crashes in Ilam Province, Iran, 2009–2013 Marzieh Mansouri Jalilian1, Hamid Safarpour2,3 , Jafar Bazyar2, Meysam Saf‑Keykaleh4, Iman Farahi‑Ashtiani3 and Ali Khorshidi5* Abstract Objective: Road trafc crashes (RTCs) are major public health challenges of world health systems, and the main lead‑ ing cause of death in children and young adults aged 5 to 29 years. This study aimed to assess the epidemiology of RTCs in Ilam, Iran. Results: The total mortality rate due to RTCs has been increasing every year. There was a statistically signifcant relationship between age/sex and death or injury from RTCs in pedestrians, drivers, and passengers (p < 0.05). There was a signifcant relationship between the part of body trauma and RTCs in pedestrians (p < 0.001). Furthermore, a signifcant relationship was found between the type of vehicle and using seat belt with RTCs in drivers and passen‑ gers (p 0.000). = Keywords: Road safety, Road trafc injury, Risk factors, Vehicle, Accident, Trauma Introduction Iran has one of the highest mortality rates from RTCs Road trafc crashes (RTCs) are the principal public among middle-income countries [10, 11], which are the health problem in developed and developing countries leading cause of early death and years of life lost (YLL), [1–3]. RTCs are defned as fatal or non-fatal injuries and the most common cause of injuries [12, 13]. Approxi- incurred as a result of a road trafc crash [4]. Death from mately, 0.8 million people (1.1% of Iran’s population) RTCs afect not only victims, but also families and the are hospitalized per year due to RTCs, which imposes a wider community at the national level with physical, psy- signifcant burden on the country’s health system. Also, chological, economic, and quality of life consequences more than one-third of hospital beds are allocated to [5]. Approximately, 1.35 million people die each year as a RTCs victims [14]. In a study conducted between 2004 result of RTCs [6]. More than 90% of deaths occur in low and 2011, the average rate of deaths from RTCs was 31 and middle-income countries [7]. Tey are the main lead- per 100,000 population [15]. Also, according to the WHO ing cause of death for children and young adults aged 5 to report in 2015, the mortality rate caused by RTCs in Iran 29 years [6]. Te causes of road crashes can be attributed was 32 deaths per 100,000 persons [12]. to human, vehicular, and environmental factors. Besides In Ilam province of Iran, due to the climatic and geo- the environmental factors, Geographical conditions and graphical conditions, RTCs result in major life and fnan- climate change can increase the number of RTCs [8]. cial losses annually [16]. Te rate of death due to RTCs Moreover, Temperature, rainfall, sandstorms, and num- in Ilam province in 2012 was estimated to 24/82 per ber of vehicles are responsible for RTCs [9]. 100,000 people. Furthermore, as an strategic location, this province is exposed to high road trafc for about *Correspondence: khorshidi‑[email protected] 30 days every year in Arbaeen mass gathering [17, 18]. 5 Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Ilam University At this time, travel to the border is by road and personal of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran vehicles, which increases the risk of RTCs [17]. Terefore, Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © The Author(s) 2020. 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The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creat iveco mmons .org/publi cdoma in/ zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data. Mansouri Jalilian et al. BMC Res Notes (2020) 13:517 Page 2 of 6 prevention of these injuries is necessary and prevention (injury or death due to RTCs) with independent variables clearly requires recognition and attention to the pat- using Chi-square test, as well as the incidence rate of tern of risk factors. Knowing the intervention with more death or injury in terms of sex and age during the studied impact on RTCs mortality prevention by authorities may years were analyzed. result in better planning to prevent the consequences of these types of events in the province at a lower cost and Results higher efciency. Due to the lack of comprehensive stud- During the fve-year period, the crude mortality rate has ies on the epidemiology of RTCs in Ilam province, this been increasing every year from 22.06 in 2009 to 43.23 study aimed to assess the epidemiology of RTCs in Ilam, in 2013, per 100,000 population. Te mean age-standard- Iran. ized incidence rate was 23.03 per 100,000 population. Te rate of death from RTCs in passengers increased every Main text year from 5 in 2009 to 22 in 2013 per 100,000 population. Methods Tere was a statistically signifcant relationship Tis was a retrospective cross-sectional study. Data on between age and death or injury from RTCs in all the RTCs in Ilam were gathered during a fve-years period three categories of pedestrians, drivers and passengers (2009–2013) using census method. Te data were col- (P < 0.05). Te number of deaths in males in all the three lected from COM114 police form flled by road safety categories of pedestrians (40, 2.8%), passengers (299, experts at the accident scene. Tis form contains a rela- 8.9%), and drivers (462, 2.2%) was more than those of tively large number of variables that are used by the females. Tere was a signifcant relationship between sex police in all trafc accidents. Data are collected in two and death or injury from RTCs in pedestrians, passengers parts of general and specifc information. In the general and drivers (P < 0.05). In all the categories, the deaths and section, information about time, place, road conditions, injuries in males were more than those of females. Most weather conditions, lighting conditions, vehicle char- pedestrians (708, 80%) had an educational level under a acteristics, characteristics of people (driver, pedestrian high school diploma, and none of the pedestrians with and passenger) and causes of the crashes are collected. academic education died. Tere was a signifcant rela- In the specifc section, information related to crash maps tionship between education level and death or injury and expert advice are collected and entered in the trafc from a RTCs in drivers and passengers (P < 0.05). Te crashes database. Te tool questions are designed to be people with Non-Academic education had the highest open and closed. Te data is entered into the system by rate of death or injury. the police in diferent parts of the country and it is pos- Tere was a signifcant relationship between employ- sible for users to process and report it at the local and ment type and death or injury from RTCs in drivers. national levels. Permission was obtained from Ilam Uni- Employed drivers had higher rate of deaths or injuries versity of Medical Sciences and approved by the ethical compared to unemployed drivers (P = 0.05). However, committee. Te aims of the study were explained to the there was no statistically signifcant relationship between police ofce. Ten, for the retrieval of individual records employment type and death or injury in pedestrians and confdentiality of information, written consent was and passengers (Table 1). A signifcant relationship was given to the record ofce of the police. Te collected found between the type of vehicle and the RTCs in driv- information was about the environmental conditions ers (P < 0.001). Most drivers (78.3%) who had an accident of injuries, human factors, and vehicle characteristics with a small vehicle were injured, and 69 (0.3%) of the as well as the consequences of RTCs. Data in the police drivers who had an accident with a motorcycle have died. database is maintained in four separate sections and Tere was a statistically signifcant relationship stored in the Microsoft Excel®. Te data of each section between using seat belts and death or injury from RTCs were reviewed separately and controlled and modifed in in drivers and passengers (P < 0.001). Most drivers (3819, terms of human errors (redundancy, typos errors, etc.) as 65.7%) who used seat belts were injured and 122 (1.2%) necessary. To use all the data related to a specifc crash, who had not used seat belts died. A total of 123 (11%) the data of these four sections were linked through com- of passengers that did not fasten their seat belts died. mon keywords.