Epidemiological Study of Road Traffic Accident Cases Attending Tertiary Care Hospital of Kashmir: A Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) are an important cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide and are highly on rise. Its socioeconomic repercussions are a matter of great concern. In order to control the losses created due to RTA, it is important to study its causative factors. Aim and Objectives: To study the various epidemiological factors related to road traffic accident cases. Methodology: It was a Cross-sectional study that was conducted in two tertiary care hospitals of Kashmir (Government Hospital for Bone and Joint surgery, Barzulla and SMHS Hospital, Srinagar) from Oct 2018 to Nov 2018. Study participants were RTA patients coming to the Emergency of these two hospitals. A pretested semi-structured interview schedule was used to collect necessary information regarding the accident. Results: RTAs affected mainly the people of productive age group (20-40 years) which were predominantly male. Approximately 1/6th of the victims were illiterate and 2/5th of the victims were unemployed. Most of the accidents occurred on Saturdays (26%) and Sundays (22.5%) while less number of accidents was reported on Tuesdays (5.0%) and Wednesdays (5.0%). Most of the accidents (39%) occurred between 16:01 to 20:00 hours. Use of Safety measures (helmet/seatbelt) was reported by only 24% of the cases. Two wheeler drivers were more (61.5%) involved in accidents (61.5%). Weather condition at the time of accident in majority of the cases (53.5%) was found to be sunny. Conclusion: Most of the factors that are responsible for RTA and its multiple consequences are preventable. A comprehensive programme can reduce the prevalence of RTA to a great degree.