Racial and ethnic differences in patients involved in alcohol-impaired motor vehicle crashes and its related clinical outcomes among various age groups in the U.S.

Abstract

Objective(s): 1) to determine whether the proportion of alcohol-impaired patients involved in motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) varies by race/ethnicity within different age groups; 2) to explore the relationship between alcohol impairment, race/ethnicity and clinical outcomes among patients involved in MVCs across age groups.Methods: The 2012 National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) queried for patients aged 16–55 involved in MVCs who received a blood ethanol test on admission.Results: Of the 44,216 patients involved in MVC, 68% were White, 14% Black, and 13% were Hispanic. About 36% were 16–25 years old, and 19% were 46–55 years old. Alcohol-impaired patients constituted 34% of the patients. The multiple logistic regression analysis of HLOS ≥ 2 days revealed that, when controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, insurance status, and the interaction between alcohol impairment and age as well as alcohol impairment and race/ethnicity, alcohol impairment positivity carried a 15% increase in probability of HLOS ≥ 2 days (OR 1.15, p < 0.0001). Additionally, using the 16–25 age group as reference, each of the older age groupings showed an increased probability of HLOS ≥ 2 days with ORs of 1.15, 1.32, and 1.51 for ages 26–35, 36–45, and 46–55, respectively (p-values < 0.0001). Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians/others were less likely than Whites to have HLOS ≥ 2 days with OR of 0.88, 0.89, and 0.88, respectively (p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the clinical outcome of mortality between races/ethnicities and alcohol-impaired driving.Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the proportions of alcohol-impaired driving and the associated clinical outcomes vary among race/ethnic groups in different age groups. More research is needed to determine the reasons for the observed differences in these vulnerable sub-groups.