Evaluation of Sociodemographic factors, risk factors, and severity of injuries among victims of road traffic accidents admitted to Teaching Hospital Batticaloa, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Over the last few decades as the number of motor vehicles in Sri Lanka has increased, there has been an associated increase in RTAs, along with that there has been an increase in fatalities, grievous injuries, and damage to property. Analysis of the most significant risk factors, causal variables, and long-term trends in road accidents is crucial for the sustained reduction of the frequency of serious accidents, as well as for the implementation of the necessary preventative measures. The aim of this research is to study the Sociodemographic Data, Risk Factors, Severity of Injuries, and the association between Risk Factors and Sociodemographic Data among patients admitted to Surgical and Orthopedic Surgery Wards of Teaching Hospital Batticaloa following RTA. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to study the Sociodemographic Data, Risk Factors, Severity of Injuries, and the association between Risk Factors and Sociodemographic Data among patients admitted to Surgical and Orthopedic Surgery Wards of Teaching Hospital Batticaloa following RTA. After obtaining informed written consent from the patients, data was collected through a validated interviewer-administered questionnaire. The obtained data was analyzed using Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 27. The ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Review Committee, Faculty of Health-Care Sciences, Eastern University, Sri Lanka. A total of 225 datasets from participants were collected at the Surgery Wards of Teaching Hospital Batticaloa. 210 complete data sets were analyzed. The analysis indicated that males between the ages of 21-30 were the major demographic involved in RTAs. Majority of IRUs were motorbike riders. Major risk factors are collision with other vehicles. Most IRUs suffered suspected serious injuries and suspected minor injuries as a result of RTAs. Results of this study indicated that significant changes need to be made via many mediums in order to reduce the number of RTAs occurring in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.