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Obesity and risk for death due to motor vehicle crashes. Am J Public Health 2006 Apr;96(4):734-9

Date

03/16/2006

Pubmed ID

16537660

Pubmed Central ID

PMC1470534

DOI

10.2105/AJPH.2004.058156

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-33645467894 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   113 Citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: We examined the role of body mass index (BMI) and other factors in driver deaths within 30 days after motor vehicle crashes.

METHODS: We collected data for 22 107 drivers aged 16 years and older who were involved in motor vehicle crashes from the Crashworthiness Data System of the National Automotive Sampling System (1997-2001). We used logistic regression and adjusted for confounding factors to analyze associations between BMI and driver fatality and the associations between BMI and gender, age, seatbelt use, type of collision, airbag deployment, and change in velocity during a crash.

RESULTS: The fatality rate was 0.87% (95% confidence interval [CI]=0.50, 1.24) among men and 0.43% (95% CI=0.31, 0.56) among women involved as drivers in motor vehicle crashes. Risk for death increased significantly at both ends of the BMI continuum among men but not among women (P<.05). The association between BMI and male fatality increased significantly with a change in velocity and was modified by the type of collision, but it did not differ by age, seatbelt use, or airbag deployment.

CONCLUSIONS: The increased risk for death due to motor vehicle crashes among obese men may have important implications for traffic safety and motor vehicle design.

Author List

Zhu S, Layde PM, Guse CE, Laud PW, Pintar F, Nirula R, Hargarten S

Authors

Stephen W. Hargarten MD, MPH Professor in the Emergency Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Purushottam W. Laud PhD Professor in the Institute for Health and Equity department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Frank A. Pintar PhD Chair, Professor in the Biomedical Engineering department at Medical College of Wisconsin




MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Accidents, Traffic
Adult
Age Factors
Air Bags
Body Mass Index
Female
Humans
Male
Obesity
Risk Assessment
Seat Belts
Sex Factors