Rural Motor Vehicle Crash Risk of Death is Higher After Controlling for Injury Severity

This article analyzes regional variation regarding risk of motor vehicle crash death after taking injury severity into account. Using Nebraska data from the Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System (CODES), the research examines all fatal or crash-related injuries occurring during the 1996-1999 time period. The analysis includes calculated Injury Severity Scores (ISS) based on the CODES listed International Classification of Diseases diagnoses. Regression analysis is also used to analyze odds ratios and compare deaths in three rural counties to those in urban areas. Results show that in the 22,181 records having complete information, the odds of death are 1.24 (1.01-1.53) higher in large non-adjacent rural counties, after adjusting for the effects of speed limit, age, alcohol consumption (but not ISS). Small non-adjacent rural counties, show odds of death at 1.38 (1.14-1.66). However, when the effect of ISS is removed, small non-adjacent rural counties show odds of death at 1.98 (1.18-3.31) higher, nearly twice as high a risk of motor vehicle death than in less rural Nebraska counties. The authors conclude that a contributing factor to this regional variation might be found in the variation in medical care.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00225282
• Authors:
  • Muelleman, Robert L
  • Wadman, Michael C
  • Tran, Paul
  • Ulrich, Fred
  • Anderson, James R
• Publication Date: 2007-1

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 221-226
• Serial:
  • Journal of Trauma, Injury, Infection and Critical Care
  • Volume: 62
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
  • ISSN: 0022-5282

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age; Alcohol use; Crash injuries; Crash risk forecasting; Crashes; Diseases and medical conditions; Fatalities; Health care; Injury severity; Motor vehicles; Random variables; Regional analysis; Regression analysis; Rural areas; Speed limits; Time periods; Urban areas
• Identifier Terms: Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System; Injury Severity Score
• Uncontrolled Terms: Odds ratio
• Geographic Terms: Nebraska
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I84: Personal Injuries;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01042755
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 1 2007 8:41AM