title: A small area study of motor vehicle crash fatalities in Alberta, Canada.
abstract: This study examined the small area variation in motor vehicle crash fatality rates in the province of Alberta, Canada. Motor vehicle crash fatality rates per 100000 population (1995-1997, inclusive) were determined for five geographic areas in the province. The rates showed substantial, statistically significant variation across areas, with fatality rates lowest in the urban areas of Calgary and Edmonton, and highest in the rural areas (south, central, and northern Alberta). Examination of area-level predictors-population density, impaired driving citation rates, education level, unemployment levels, and ethnicity-showed that population density and impaired driving rates were associated with motor vehicle crash fatality rates. There was a five-fold difference in annual motor vehicle crash fatality rates between rural (22.9/100000) and urban areas (4.4/100000), whereas annual impaired driving rates were around 1.8% in rural areas, compared with 0.6% in urban areas. Because of multicollinearity problems, it was not possible to estimate a multivariable Poisson regression model. In conclusion, rural areas in the province of Alberta demonstrate a significantly higher motor vehicle crash fatality rate, compared with urban areas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alta, Canada T2N 4N1.
authors.forename: Leanne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kmet
authors.forename: Penny
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brasher
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Macarthur
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000416:Alberta / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D017062:Small-Area Analysis