Family characteristics and pedestrian injury risk in Mexican children.
BACKGROUND
Family characteristics have been described as risk factors for child pedestrian and motor vehicle collision. Research results come mainly from developed countries, where family relationships could be different than in developing ones.


OBJECTIVE
To examine family characteristics as risk factors for pedestrian injury in children living in Guadalajara City, Mexico.


METHODS
Case-control study of injuries among children 1-14 years of age involved in pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions. Cases resulting in death or injuries that required hospitalization or medical attention were included and identified through police reports and/or emergency room registries. Two neighborhood matched controls were selected randomly and compared with cases to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).


RESULTS
Significant risk factors were: male (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.2 to 4.4), number of siblings in household (two siblings, OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.4 to 6.6; three siblings, OR 4.5, 95% CI 1.9 to 11.0; four or more siblings, OR 3.7, 95% CI 1.1 to 12.9), and number of non-siblings/non-parents in household (four or more, OR 6.2, 95% CI 1.5 to 26.6). Children of a sole mother, working mother, or grandmother living in house did not show increased risk after adjusting for socioeconomic conditions.


CONCLUSIONS
Household size has implications for child pedestrian and motor vehicle collision prevention efforts and is relatively easy to identify. Also, the lack of risk association with working mothers may indicate that grandmothers are not part of the social support network that cares for children of working mothers.
Celis
A
A
University of Guadalajara, Mexican Institute of Social Security, Mexico. algredo_celis@yahoo.com
Gomez
Z
Z
Martinez-Sotomayor
A
A
Arcila
L
L
Villaseñor
M
M
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors