[A case-control study on the risk factors for road injury].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the risk factors of road injury.


METHODS
Case-control study was used. From November 2001 to August 2002, 406 drivers who had 438 drivers who had not experienced a motor vehicle crash in Huanggu district, Shenyang city were recruited by randomly selection on time of day, day of week and site in the same period at same district. Face to face interviews with drivers were conducted according to a highly structured questionnaire covering the circumstances of the current trip, usual behavior and background characteristics of the drivers and the condition of motor vehicles. Stanford sleepiness scale and Epworth sleepiness scale were used to quantify acute and chronic sleepiness respectively.


RESULTS
Increased risk was associated with drivers who identified themselves as having chronic doziness (OR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.26 - 3.12). Increase in risk was associated with measures of acute tiredness, but without statistical significance (OR = 2.38, 95% CI: 0.89 - 6.31). Comparing to permanent daytime work pattern, rotating shifts or permanent night-work pattern increased the risk of crash (OR = 2.09, 95% CI: 1.48 - 2.94). The risk of motor vehicle crash among the drivers who drank alcohol in the previous 6 hours was 3.59 times (95% CI: 1.13 - 11.39) of those drivers who did not drink. Driving violations also contributed to the increased risk of crash (OR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.22 - 2.46).


CONCLUSIONS
Factors as chronic doziness, rotating shifts or permanent night-work pattern, driving under alcohol impairment, violation of motor vehicle regulation all significantly increased the risk of road injury. Acute sleepiness might serve as a potential risk factor for road injury.
Liu
Gai-fen
GF
Department of Epidemiology, School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100005, China.
Han
Song
S
Liang
Duo-hong
DH
Wang
Feng-zhi
FZ
Shi
Xin-zhu
XZ
Yu
Jian
J
Wu
Zheng-lai
ZL
D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000328:Adult; D001334:Automobile Driving; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors