title: Occupant- and crash-related factors associated with the risk of whiplash injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Given that a motor vehicle crash (MVC) had occurred, to evaluate whether occupant- and crash-related factors, such as age, gender, seating position and type of MVC are associated with the risk of whiplash injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  A study of occupants in cars covered by motor insurance at one of the largest insurance companies in Sweden, was undertaken during a one-year period. The study population comprised all occupants in cars exposed to an MVC in which at least one occupant was injured (n = 7120). Adjusted estimates of the relative risk of whiplash injury, associated with the different factors, were calculated by means of binomial regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Considering different MVCs, rear-end collisions were associated with the highest relative risk of whiplash injury when compared with side impacts (1.82; 95% CI 1.68-1.96), while drivers showed the strongest association with respect to seating position when compared with passengers in the rear seat (1.78; 95% CI 1.60-1.97). Females had a somewhat higher relative risk of whiplash injury than males (1.20; 95% CI 1.16-1.25). Regarding age, the relative risk was moderately increased across the different age groups when compared with the oldest age group. No interaction was observed on the additive scale.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given that an MVC had occurred, subjects exposed to a rear-end collision and drivers had a substantial increased risk of whiplash injury, while age and gender were of minor importance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. anita.berglund@cns.ki.se
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berglund
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alfredsson
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Lennart
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bodin
authors.forename: Ake
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nygren
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014911:Whiplash Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology