Road Traffic Injuries in General Pueyrredón, Province of Buenos Aires: Epidemiology, Risk Factors and Lethality

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: In Argentina, potential years of life lost due to premature death (PYLL) attributable to traffic injuries have increased over 68% the last 10 years. This paper discusses the importance of building information about this kind o injuries from multiple data sources. OBJECTIVE: To describe epidemiology, lethality and risk factors in people injured in road traffic accidents (PIRTA) at General Pueyrredón District (GPD), Province of Buenos Aires, from June 2010 to May 2011. METHODS: A cross-sectional design with multivariate and spatial analysis was used to study the epidemiological characteristics of PIRTA in GPD during 12 months. Five data sources were used. RESULTS: Out of 4832 PIRTA, 66% were males. Motorcyclists totaled 51%, with a death rate of 36%. The over 60s age group had 40% of pedestrians and showed the highest lethality. Out of 100 PIRTA, 30 were hospitalized and 1 died. The rate of vulnerable users (76%) was higher than in other publications. The analysis presented four typologies: a) young male motorcyclists; b) four-wheel motor vehicle occupants; c) people younger than 15 years old; d) women pedestrians and cyclists. CONCLUSIONS: Epidemiological and risk factor data obtained from multiple sources contribute to designing effective prevention strategies. It is necessary to promote networking and intersectoral work in order to have a complex, multicausal approach.