Road traffic injury among elderly people and its determinant factors: a cross-sectional study

Injuries from Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs), particularly among vulnerable groups such as the elderly, are considered a significant public health concern. The aim of this study was to show epidemiology of RTIs among the elderly people in the Eastern Azerbaijan province of Iran.

This cross-sectional study included all patients over 60 years old who admitted to the Shohada Hospital from 2006 to 2016. Data were extracted from the Hospital Information System. Injuries types were classified based on the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). Descriptive statistics (Mean, median and frequency) and inferential statistics (The Pearson Chi-square test) were used for data analysis through SPSS-24 software.

A total of 3509 RTAs involving patients over 60 years old from 2006 to 2016. These traffic-related injuries comprised 15% of all recorded injuries (23,321 cases). The mean age of the patients was 69.91 ± 7.61 years, with a predominant male representation (2324 patients, 64.74%). The median Length of Stay (LOS) in hospital was 3 days. Injuries most commonly affected the knee and lower leg regions (27.5%). The most frequent types of accidents were those involving car passengers (40.47%) and pedestrians (36.33%). The majority of RTAs occurred during the summer season. There was a significant difference in the rate of RTAs based on variables such as sex, age, season, and LOS (p < 0.001).

The study highlights traffic-related injuries among the elderly, mostly affecting the knee and lower leg regions, especially during the summer season. The efforts should include enhancing safety measures for car passengers and pedestrians, particularly during the high-risk summer months. Also, it emphasizes the need for public transportation to improve safety for older people due to lower accident rates and senior-friendly features.