title: A comparison of self-reported motor vehicle collision injuries compared with official collision data: an analysis of age and sex trends using the Canadian National Population Health Survey and Transport Canada data.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to compare the age and sex trends of motor vehicle collision injuries between a nationally representative self-report survey and official police motor vehicle collision report data. To do this, population-based estimates of motor vehicle collision injuries were established using data from the National Population Health Survey (NPHS), a prospective, population-based, longitudinal survey that was compared to Transport Canada's official motor vehicle collision report statistics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Aggregated mean data (1994-1996) were compared for seven age groups (15-19, 20-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, and 65+) from both data sets.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences were found between males' and females' MVC injuries for any age category in the NPHS. A comparison of the NPHS and Transport Canada data found two small (significant) within-sex differences between the data sets, but overall, the analysis largely revealed similar trends for self-reported injury for all age categories and sex.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that the incidence of injuries based on self-report data in a nationally representative sample is similar to official sources of reporting and are thus a valid indicator or motor vehicle collision injury incidence. The results also confirm that injury trends differ from fatality trends.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Sociology, King's University College & The University of Western Ontario, Social Science Centre, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C2. serobert@uwo.ca
authors.forename: Sharon E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vingilis
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wilk
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seeley
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D012737:Sex Factors; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*