Epidemiological Pattern and Mortality Rate Trend of Road Traffic Injuries in Kermanshah Province (2009-2014)

Abstract Introduction: The increasing rate of road traffic injuries have turned into a noticeable and critical danger threatening lives of people in different countries around the world. This study is done to determine epidemiological pattern and mortality rate trend of road traffic injuries. Methodology: In this cross-sectional study, the epidemiological pattern of mortality related to road traffic injury was determined in a 6-year-period data gathering by Kermanshah Forensic Medicine Center’s census. The external cause of death was classified using ICD-10 codes. The population of Kermanshah was provided by the Governor General’s Office. Data were then analyzed using Stata 11 software. To examine the mortality trend and its significance, the negative binomial regression was utilized. Results: The average age of 3231 death cases of road traffic injuries was 39.83±21.27and 78.4% of the subjects were males. The most important cause of death was head concussion (71.6%). The highest number of external causes was related to cars/van crashes. The mean mortality rate of road traffic injuries in Kermanshah province in this 6-year period was 27.81 deaths per hundred thousand people. The rate of mortality due to road traffic in Kermanshah  has decreased from 33.13 to 22.58 cases per hundred thousand people and mortality rate decreases by 6% on average in proportion to every unit of increase in year (β= -0.06; CI: -0.11, -0.002).       Conclusion: According to the results and despite the decrease in traffic injuries' mortality in recent years, this rate is still higher than that of other countries; therefore, this area of interest should be reviewed, changed, and even revolutionized.