Characteristics and Factors Associated with Road Traffic Injuries in Patients Attending Thika Level 5 Hospital, Kenya, 2009

Abstract

Road traffic injuries present an important public health problem in Kenya and are responsible for a heavy burden on the health care system. This cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the characteristics of injuries and factors associated with injury severity in victims of road traffic crashes attending Thika Level 5 hospital from August to November 2009. Epidemiologic and clinical information was recorded by interview and from medical charts. Vulnerable road users were defined as pedestrians and two-wheeled vehicle users. Road crash victims with moderate or severe and those with mild injury were compared to determine factors associated with injury severity. A total of 300 road crash victims were interviewed. The mean age of the participants was 32.4 years, three quarters of participants were aged between 20-49 years and 72% (218) were male. Vulnerable road users comprised 33% (99) of the road crash victims. Nineteen percent (56) of the road crash victims had moderate or severe injury with 81% sustaining mild injury. On multivariate logistic regression, vulnerable road users (OR=2.0, 95%CI=1.02-3.92), road crashes in rainy weather (OR=2.9, 95%CI=1.33-6.51) and night time crashes (OR=2.0, 95%CI=1.10-3.92) were risk factors for sustaining moderate or severe injury. In this study, vulnerable road users were more likely to sustain moderate or severe injury as has been shown in other studies. Analysis of factors associated with severe injury can form a basis for policies and regulations aimed at promoting safer roads.