title: The effect of injuries on health measured by short form 8 among a large cohort of Thai adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We investigate the links between health and injury in Thailand. This is important because of the high burden of injury in transitional countries and limited information for public health.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyse 2005 baseline and 2009, 4-year follow-up data from distance learning students of Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University residing nationwide (n = 60569). Injury was reported for the past year in both periods. Medical Outcome Study Short-Form (SF-8™) health status was reported and Physical and Mental Component Summary Scores (PCS and MCS) were calculated. Analyses used covariate-adjusted multivariate linear regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 2009, increasing numbers of traffic injuries (0, 1, 2, 3, 4+) associated with declining PCS scores (49.8, 48.4, 46.9, 46.2, 44.0), along with a similar monotonic decline for MCS scores (47.6, 46.0, 44.2, 42.7, 40.6). A similar (but smaller) dose-response gradient was found between non-traffic injuries and SF-8 scores. Longitudinal analyses showed those with incident injury (no injury 2005, injury 2009) had lower PCS and MCS scores compared to those with no injury in both periods. Individuals with reverting injury status (injury 2005, no injury 2009) reported improvement in PCS and MCS scores over the four-year period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found significant and epidemiologically important associations between increasing injury frequency and worse health in the past year, especially traffic injuries. Longitudinal 2005-2009 results were supportive and revealed statistically significant adverse 4-year effects of incident injury on health. If injury reverted over four years, low initial scores improved greatly. Findings highlight the importance of injury prevention as a public health priority.
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
authors.forename: Vasoontara
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Yiengprugsawan
authors.affiliation: Monash Injury Research Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Janneke
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Berecki-Gisolf
authors.affiliation: Monash Injury Research Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Roderick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McClure
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia ; School of Human Ecology, Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, Nonthaburi, Thailand.
authors.forename: Sam-Ang
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Seubsman
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
authors.forename: Adrian C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Sleigh
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003288:Contusions / Q000453:epidemiology*; D020375:Education, Distance; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013180:Sprains and Strains / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013334:Students; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology