CHILDREN TRAFFIC INJURY TRENDS AND CAUSES IN LITHUANIA DURING 1970–2000

Abstract

In Lithuania, injuries are the greatest health problem facing children and adolescents, as in other developing countries. Road traffic accidents are the leading cause of death due to injuries among Lithuanian children and adolescents. The objective of this study was to identify causes of road traffic related injuries among urban children, their annual trends, and to propose prevention measures. A retrospective analysis of children and adolescent traffic injury in 1970–2000 was done. The data were obtained from records of Lithuanian Health Information Center and Kaunas Traffic Police Department. The cases were analyzed by sex, age, season, week day, day time, category of victims, the place of the accident in the town and cause of injuries. The methods of mathematical statistics were used as well as regression analysis. In Lithuania during the period of 1970–2000, traffic injuries were the cause of death in 4,705 children and adolescents: in traffic accidents were killed 1,903 children in a 0–14-year-age group and 2,172 adolescents in a 15–19-year-age group. During the 30-year period, most of adolescents in the 15–19-year-age group died from traffic accidents. However, most of children in the 0–14-year- age group died from drowning. Childhood and adolescent injury trends were approximated by linear, polynomial, and moving average models. Childhood mortality from traffic accidents had decreasing tendency, whereas the adolescent mortality from traffic accidents had increasing tendency. More boys than girls suffered from the traffic related injuries, 54.9% (95%CI=50–60) vs 45.1% (95%CI=40.1–50.1). The peak incidences usually occurred in the summer months, 29.1% (95%CI=24.7–33.9), on Fridays, 21.3% (95%CI=17.4–25.7), and in the 7–10-year-age group, 38.6% (95%CI=33.8–43.7). Most incidences occurred in the afternoon from 1 to 6 p.m., 61.2% (95%CI=56.1–66.0). The head was the rather frequently injured part of the body, 32.4% (95%CI=29.5–39.1). The next in order were complex traumas, 26.1% (95%CI=21.8–30.7) and in the place third were injuries of the lower extremities, 21.8% (95%CI=17.8–26.2). The most typical trauma was contusion, 55.8% (95%CI=50.7–60.8). In descending order, the categories of the victims were as follows: pedestrians, car passengers, bicyclists and motorcyclists. Most of the children were injured in downtown. The causes of the injuries among children and adolescent were undisciplined behavior on the roads, disciplined behavior on the roads, car passengers, motorcycle, bicycle and moped drivers, running between vehicles within the parking place and etc. In accordance to the results of this study, the accident prevention measures should include road safety education, legislation and environmental modification. Increasing traffic injury mortality requires urgent measures of permanent preventive activities. The evident importance of the problem shows the need of already being developed comprehensive prevention programs, such as Safe Communities.