Quality of life in road traffic accident survivors

Jelena Kovačević; Maja Miškulin; Matea Matić Ličanin; Josip Barać; Dubravka Biuk; Hrvoje Palenkić; Suzana Matić; Marinela Kristić; Egon Biuk; Ivan Miškulin

doi:10.2478/sjph-2020-0026

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Quality of life in road traffic accident survivors

Slovenian Journal of Public Health

Volume 59 (2020): Issue 4 (December 2020)

By: Jelena Kovačević, Maja Miškulin, Matea Matić Ličanin, Josip Barać, Dubravka Biuk, Hrvoje Palenkić, Suzana Matić, Marinela Kristić, Egon Biuk and Ivan Miškulin

Open Access

|Oct 2020

Figures & Tables

Table 1

Sociodemographic factors and health status before the RTA.

Sociodemographic factors and health status	N	%
Sex
Male	108	54.0
Female	92	46.0
Age group (years)
Younger (18–41)	97	48.5
Older (≥42)	103	51.5
Place of residence
Urban	87	43.5
Rural	113	56.5
Education
Primary	38	19.0
Secondary	125	62.5
Higher education	37	18.5
Employment
Employed	116	58.0
Out of work	52	26.0
Retired from work	32	16.0
Relationship status
Single	71	35.5
Has a partner	129	64.5
Self-assessed economic status
Under average	40	20.0
Average	116	58.0
Above average	44	22.0
Religiousness
No	19	9.5
Yes	181	90.5
Smoking
No	129	64.5
Yes	71	35.5
Alcohol use
No	99	49.5
Yes	101	50.5
Drug abuse
No	197	98.5
Yes	3	1.5
Use of medications
No	98	49.0
Yes	102	51.0
Type of medications
None	98	49.0
Non-psychiatric	78	9.0
Psychiatric	7	3.5
All types	17	8.5
Previous RTAs
No	116	58.0
Yes	84	42.0
Traumatic exposures
No	96	48.0
Yes	104	52.0
Prior PTSD
No	193	96.5
Yes	7	3.5
Chronic disease
No	116	58.0
Yes	84	42.0
Psychiatric disease
No	178	89.0
Yes	22	11.0
Permanent pain
No	181	90.5
Yes	19	9.5

Table 2

RTA details.

RTA details.	N	%
Type of road users
Driver of motor vehicle	122	61.0
Co-driver or a passenger	61	30.5
Pedestrian or a cyclist	17	8.5
Motor vehicles crashed
None	1	0.5
One	92	46.0
Two or more	107	53.5
Injured
None	29	14.5
One	84	42.0
2–3	72	36.0
More than 3	15	7.5
Fatal outcomes
No	195	97.5
Yes	5	2.5
At fault
No	123	61.5
Yes	70	35.0
Unknown	7	3.5
Claimed compensation
No	113	56.5
Yes	87	43.5
Obtained compensation
No	180	90.0
Yes	20	10.0

Table 3

Health status following the RTA.

Health status following the RTA	N	%
Number of injuries
Without injures	31	15.5
One	45	22.5
Multiple	124	62.0
Injury location
None	31	15.5
Head	18	9.0
Face	2	1.0
Neck	8	4.0
Chest	8	4.0
Abdomen	1	0.5
Spine	3	1.5
Upper extremities	3	1.5
Lower extremities	10	5.0
Several locations	116	58.0
Major injury
Without injuries	31	15.5
Head	58	29.0
Neck	37	18.5
Chest	19	9.5
Abdomen	12	6.0
Upper extremities	17	8.5
Lower extremities	26	13.0
Injury level
Without injury	31	15.5
Minor	96	48.0
Moderate	36	18.0
Serious	28	14.0
Severe	6	3.0
Critical	3	1.5
Self-assessed life-threat
No	108	54.0
Yes	92	46.0
Loss of consciousness
No	168	84.0
Yes	32	16.0
Loss of memory
No	172	86.0
Yes	28	14.0
Hospitalization
No	136	68.0
Yes	64	32.0
Days in hospital
None	136	68.0
1–3	27	13.5
4–10	19	9.5
11 and more	18	9.0
Surgery
No	180	90.0
Yes	20	10.0
Rehabilitation
No	154	77.0
Yes	46	23.0
Pain following the RTA
No	47	23.5
Yes	153	76.5
Symptoms of PTSD
No	129	64.5
Yes	71	35.5
Symptoms of depression
No	160	80.0
Yes	40	20.0
Symptoms of anxiety
No	191	95.5
Yes	9	4.5

Table 4

Quality of life of the participants after the RTA.

QoL domains	Median	Interquartile range
Physical functioning	70.0	30.0–100.0
Role limitations due to physical health	0.0	0.0–100.0
Role limitations due to emotional health	100.0	67.0–100.0
Vitality	60.0	50.0–75.0
Mental health	68.0	52.0–76.0
Social functioning	75.0	50.0–100.0
Bodily pain	55.0	33.0–80.0
General health	70.0	55.0–84.0

Table 5

Factors influencing quality of life following the RTA.

Factors	PF	PR	ER	VT	MH	SF	BP	GH
Sociodemographic
Gender	p=0.681a	p=0.651a	p=0.020a	p=0.072a	p=0.064a	p=0.408a	p=0.052a	p=0.118a
Age group	p=0.084a	p=0.204a	p=0.226a	p=0.078a	p=0.012a	p=0.079a	p=0.959a	p<0.001a
Place of residence	p=0.795a	p=0.098a	p=0.876a	p=0.427a	p=0.096a	p=0.069a	p=0.224a	p=0.469a
Education	p=0.478b	p=0.045b	p=0.182b	p=0.344b	p=0.152b	p=0.828b	p=0.118b	p=0.034b
Employment	p=0.087b	p=0.403b	p=0.037b	p=0.094b	p=0.067b	p=0.988b	p=0.007b	p<0.001b
Marital status	p=0.628a	p=0.965a	p=0.101a	p=0.465a	p=0.671a	p=0.874a	p=0.525a	p=0.708a
Self-assessed economic status	p=0.014b	p=0.032b	p=0.049b	p<0.001b	p<0.001b	p=0.245b	p=0.003b	p<0.001b
Religiousness	p=0.898a	p=0.407a	p=0.868a	p=0.010a	p=0.041a	p=0.130a	p=0.072a	p=0.862a
Pre-RTA health
Body mass index	p=0.182b	p=0.496b	p=0.754b	p=0.319b	p=0.538b	p=0.141b	p=0.612b	p=0.182b
Smoking	p=0.620a	p=0.214a	p=0.260a	p=0.056a	p=0.096a	p=0.198a	p=0.510a	p=0.097a
Alcohol consumption	p=0.020a	p=0.007a	p=0.046a	p=0.009a	p=0.028a	p=0.036a	p=0.005a	p=0.003a
Drug abuse	p=0.637a	p=0.314a	p=0.969a	p=0.214a	p=0.566a	p=0.500a	p=0.425a	p=0.272a
Previous RTAs	p=0.840a	p=0.774a	p=0.709a	p=0.589a	p=0.083a	p=0.793a	p=0.864a	p=0.133a
Previous traumatic exposures	p=0.983a	p=0.510a	p=0.471a	p=0.032a	p=0.116a	p=0.394a	p=0.604a	p=0.031a
Prior PTSD	p=0.890a	p=0.612a	p=0.986a	p=0.941a	p=0.308a	p=0.882a	p=0.776a	p=0.206a
Chronic disease	p=0.039a	p=0.026a	p=0.410a	p=0.001a	p=0.001a	p=0.043a	p=0.073a	p<0.001a
Psychiatric disease	p=0.435a	p=0.061a	p=0.024a	p=0.057a	p=0.001a	p=0.452a	p=0.039a	p=0.010a
Previous permanent pain	p=0.828a	p=0.771a	p=0.069a	p=0.001a	p=0.033a	p=0.172a	p=0.052a	p=0.014a
Use of medications	p<0.001a	p<0.001a	p=0.058a	p<0.001a	p<0.001a	p<0.001a	p<0.001a	p<0.001a
Types of medications	p<0.001b	p<0.001b	p=0.253b	p<0.001b	p<0.001b	p<0.001b	p<0.001b	p<0.001b
RTA injury-related
Injury affliction	p<0.001a	p<0.001a	p=0.228a	p=0.061a	p<0.001a	p=0.003a	p<0.001a	p=0.008a
Injury severity	p<0.001b	p<0.001b	p=0.347b	p=0.081b	p<0.001b	p<0.001b	p<0.001b	p<0.001b
Self-assessed life-threat	p=0.001a	p<0.001a	p=0.013a	p=0.002a	p<0.001a	p<0.001a	p<0.001a	p<0.001a
Pain following the RTA	p<0.001a	p<0.001a	p=0.001a	p<0.001a	p<0.001a	p<0.001a	p<0.001a	p=0.002a
Hospitalization	p<0.001a	p<0.001a	p=0.200a	p=0.177a	p=0.053a	p<0.001a	p<0.001a	p<0.001a
Hospitalization duration	p<0.001b	p<0.001b	p=0.318b	p=0.244b	p=0.128b	p<0.001b	p<0.001b	p<0.001b
Surgery	p<0.001a	p<0.001a	p=0.281a	p=0.045a	p=0.036a	p<0.001a	p<0.001a	p<0.001a
Loss of consciousness	p=0.033a	p=0.088a	p=0.334a	p=0.393a	p=0.597a	p=0.298a	p=0.311a	p=0.355a
Loss of memory	p=0.226a	p=0.150a	p=0.962a	p=0.196a	p=0.097a	p=0.116a	p=0.984a	p=0.190a
Rehabilitation	p<0.001a	p<0.001a	p<0.001a	p=0.086a	p=0.095a	p<0.001a	p<0.001a	p=0.012a
RTA-related
Fault	p=0.109b	p=0.659b	p=0.393b	p=0.322b	p=0.657b	p=0.537b	p=0.024b	p=0.461b
Fatalities	p=0.953a	p=0.541a	p=0.618a	p=0.762a	p=0.147a	p=0.157a	p=0.343a	p=0.421a
Compensation claim	p=0.072a	p=0.140a	p=0.001a	p=0.005a	p=0.178a	p=0.001a	p=0.031a	p=0.367a
Obtained compensation	p=0.474a	p=0.102a	p=0.001a	p=0.232a	p=0.537a	p=0.155a	p=0.370a	p=0.607a
Type of road users	p=0.007b	p=0.053b	p=0.502b	p=0.156b	p=0.070b	p=0.113b	p=0.017b	p=0.004b

PF = physical health; RP = role limitations due to physical health; RE = role limitations due to emotional health; VT = vitality; MH = mental health; SF = social functioning; BP = bodily pain; GH = general health

a Mann-Whitney U test

b Kruskal-Wallis test

a Mann-Whitney U test

b Kruskal-Wallis test

a Mann-Whitney U test

b Kruskal-Wallis test

a Mann-Whitney U test

b Kruskal-Wallis test

a Mann-Whitney U test

b Kruskal-Wallis test

a Mann-Whitney U test

b Kruskal-Wallis test

a Mann-Whitney U test

b Kruskal-Wallis test

a Mann-Whitney U test

b Kruskal-Wallis test

Table 6

Correlation between quality of life and mental health outcomes after the RTA.

Mental health	PF	PR	ER	VT	MH	SF	BP	GH
Depression symptoms	r_s=-0.410	r_s=-0.364	r_s=-0.430	r_s=-0.588	r_s=-0.586	r_s=-0.582	r_s=-0.438	r_s=-0.593
	p<0.001*	p<0.001*	p<0.001*	p<0.001*	p<0.001*	p<0.001*	p<0.001*	p<0.001*
Anxiety symptoms	r_s=-0.274	r_s=-0.263	r_s=-0.523	r_s=-0.446	r_s=-0.378	r_s=-0.485	r_s=-0.427	r_s=-0.442
	p<0.001*	p<0.001*	p<0.001*	p<0.001*	p<0.001*	p<0.001*	p<0.001*	p<0.001*
PTSD symptoms	r_s=-0.380	r_s=-0.345	r_s=-0.449	r_s=-0.476	r_s=-0.552	r_s=-0.549	r_s=-0.527	r_s=-0.437
	p<0.001*	p<0.001*	p<0.001*	p<0.001*	p<0.001*	p<0.001*	p<0.001*	p<0.001*

* Spearman’s correlation

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Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjph-2020-0026 | Journal eISSN: 1854-2476 | Journal ISSN: 0351-0026

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Language: English, Slovenian

Page range: 202 - 210

Submitted on: Apr 26, 2020

Accepted on: Aug 19, 2020

Published on: Oct 18, 2020

Published by: National Institute of Public Health, Slovenia

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Keywords:

road traffic accident,

Related subjects:

Hygiene and environmental medicine

© 2020 Jelena Kovačević, Maja Miškulin, Matea Matić Ličanin, Josip Barać, Dubravka Biuk, Hrvoje Palenkić, Suzana Matić, Marinela Kristić, Egon Biuk, Ivan Miškulin, published by National Institute of Public Health, Slovenia
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Volume 59 (2020): Issue 4 (December 2020)

Quality of life in road traffic accident survivors

Figures & Tables

Figure 1

Table 1

Table 2

Table 3

Table 4

Table 5

Table 6

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