Volume 24, Issue 105, September - October, 2020

Risk of death from motorcycle accidents in North-western Iran and associated factors

Leili Abedi Gheslaghi¹, Homayoun Sadeghi-Bazargani², Mehdi Noroozi³, Mohsen Barouni⁴, Hamid Sharifi^5♦

¹Ph.D. Student of Epidemiology, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
²Road Traffic Injury Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
³Psychosis Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
⁴Health Services Management Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, IR Iran
⁵HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.

^♦Corresponding author
HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. Email: hsharifi@kmu.ac.ir; sharifihami@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Death from motorcycle crashes has destructive effects on the society. This study aims to identity the risk of death from motorcycle crashes in East Azarbaijan Province, Iran. Method: This prospective cohort study was conducted based on the data of those injured in motorcycle accidents admitted to Emam Reza and Shohada Hospitals, Tabriz. The death data were obtained from Forensic Medicinal Organization, from May 2018 to December 2019. Results: Among 2008 injured people, 284 (14.1%) died during the study. Based on the multivariable model, the risk of death in the people aged above 65 was 2.02 times (95% CI: 1.08-3.77) higher than other ages. Crashes occurring outside the cities were 2.10 times (95% CI: 1.35-3.18) riskier than those happening inside the cities. Crashes at the dawn and when the motorcycle hit a fixed object increased the risk of death by 5.12 (95% CI: 2.51-10.4) and 10.70 (95% CI: 1.7-67.3) times, respectively. When the motorcycle hit another motorcycle, the risk of death increased by 2.16 times (95% CI: 1.18-3.96) compared to when the motorcycle hit a car. In those who sustained injuries to the head, thorax, and neck, the risk of death increased respectively by 46.9 (95% CI: 26.9-81), 6.06 (95% CI: 3.81-9.64), and 1.91(95% CI: 1.06-3.44) times compared to others. Conclusion: The risk of death was higher in older people and in those who sustained traumatic brain injury. Using air medical services may reduce the risk of death among the elderly.

Keywords: Quality of life, motorcycle traffic injuries, cohort study, Iran

Medical Science, 2020, 24(105), 3785-3795

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