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Racial disparities in survival among injured drivers
Amy E Haskins1, David E Clark, Lori L Travis
1Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME 04101, USA.
American Journal of Epidemiology
|February 2, 2013
Summary
Racial disparities in motor vehicle crash survival are linked to post-hospitalization care, not pre-hospital survival. Black individuals with serious injuries face lower survival rates after reaching the hospital compared to white individuals.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Trauma Surgery
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Previous research on racial disparities in motor vehicle crash survival has limitations.
- Studies often focus on population death rates or only hospitalized patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate racial and ethnic disparities in three key components of motor vehicle crash survival.
- To differentiate between overall survival, pre-hospital survival, and in-hospital survival.
Main Methods:
- Utilized nine years of data (2000-2008) from the National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System.
- Analyzed drivers aged 15 years and older with serious injuries (Injury Severity Score ≥ 9).
- Employed multivariable logistic regression to assess survival by race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Hispanic).
Main Results:
- No significant association was found between race/ethnicity and overall survival after a crash.
- Black and Hispanic drivers had similar likelihoods of surviving to reach a hospital compared to white drivers.
- Among hospitalized patients, black drivers were 50% less likely to survive 30 days compared to white drivers.
Conclusions:
- Racial disparities in motor vehicle crash survival are primarily concentrated in the post-hospitalization phase.
- Pre-hospital survival rates do not appear to be significantly influenced by race or ethnicity.
- Targeted interventions during hospital care may be crucial for reducing survival disparities for black individuals after serious traffic injuries.
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