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Objective: To evaluate the effect of interventions at a highway, in the occurrence and severity of injuries by traffic accidents., Method: It was made a comparative analysis of two cross-sectional studies in 1994 and 1996., Results: In 1994 the rate was 7.96 accidents/ 100,000 vehicles and in 1996 8.49 / 100,000 vehicles. The increase was not significant (p>0.05). The rate of injured drivers in 1994 was of 2.10 / 100,000 vehicles and of 1.35 / 100,000 vehicles in 1996, which was a significant decrease (p<0.000). The self-report of use of seat belt (63.46% versus 76.6%), the small vehicles involved in accidents (7.9% versus 37.7%), nocturnal schedule (23.7% versus 31.8%) and in Mexico-Cuernavaca direction (45% versus 66.7%), were more frequent in 1996 (p<0.05). The risk of injury, using a logistic regression model, between drivers exposed to the interventions (1996) and those that were not exposed (1994) adjusted by: age, speed, use of seat belt, alcohol intake and external cause, showed a protective effect of the interventions at the highway (OR 0.42 CI95% 0.27-0.66)., Conclusion: There is an evident need of multisectorial approaches in the study and evaluation of the interventions in the field of the traffic accidents. The present research is a clear example of the repercussions over health of interventions developed by the transportation sector at the highway.

Aims: To analyze the association between alcohol intake and the severity of injuries sustained from traffic accidents on a Mexican highway., Design: An observational unit evaluated drivers involved in auto accidents., Setting: Mexico-Cuernavaca Highway, Mexico. A 60 km-long road with many altitude variations and sharp curves., Participants: Three hundred and eighty-six drivers involved in traffic accidents between March and September, 1994., Measurements: A questionnaire was applied to the driver, an occupant or witness at the site of the accident to collect information about the driver, vehicle characteristics, type of accident, day-night occurrence, road section (Mexico-Cuernavaca or Cuernavaca-Mexico) and weather conditions. A physical examination was carried out to determine the presence and severity of injuries., Findings: There were 177 injured people, including 12 deaths, with rates of 67.5 injuries and 4.58 deaths per 10,000 km driven. Variables associated with alcohol intake (p < 0.05) included: severity of injuries, non-use of seat belt, vehicle size and occurrence at night. Risk factors for severe injuries were: alcohol intake (adjusted OR 6.1 CI 95% 1.6-24.0); non-use of seat belt (OR 4.9 CI 2.2-10.8), age < 25 years (OR 3.6 CI 1.0-12.7), age > 54 years (OR 6.0 CI 1.4-25.0), speed > 90 km/h (OR 2.6 CI 1.1-6.3) and occurrence at night (OR 2.6 CI 1.3-5.3)., Conclusions: Alcohol intake is a major risk factor for severe injuries from highway traffic accidents. Its association with other risk factors such as non-use of seat belt and excessive speed suggests the importance of designing interventions aimed at reducing alcohol intake among automobile drivers.

Traffic accidents are a well-known public health problem worldwide. In Mexico research into risk factors for motor involving vehicles accidents and their consequences has recently been taken into account. The relevant literature does not normally describe the methodological aspects involved in the collection of primary data, since most studies have used secondary data the good quality and validity of which are assumed. The paper presented seeks to discuss and share with researchers in this field, some of the methodological aspects to be considered in the attempt to recreate the scene of the accident and obtain information approximating to reality. The measurements in situ of, such traffic accident variables as injury, use of seat belt, speed and alcohol intake are discussed.

Objective: To analyze the association between the severity of car accident injuries and the use of safety belts., Material and Methods: The unit of observation and analysis was car drivers in the Mexico-Cuernavaca toll highway. Variables included were those of car drivers, the vehicles and the physical environment at the accident site. Statistical analysis was carried out by means of chi square, odds ratios, 95% confidence intervals and logistic regression. Data was collected in 422 questionnaires for 324 accident events., Results: There were 177 injured people, including 12 deaths, with rates of 67.5 injuries and 4.58 deaths per 10 000 kilometers driven. Variables associated with not using a safety belt (p < 0.05) were: alcohol drinking, vehicle size, night-time and road section. Risk factors for severe injuries were: not using a safety belt (raw OR 4.9, 95% CI 2.2-10.8, adjusted OR 2.94, 95% CI 1.13-7.66); age < 25 years (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.0-12.7) and > 54 (OR 6.0, 95% CI 1.4-25.0); alcohol drinking (OR 10.8, 95% CI 3.8-30.4); and night time (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.4-5.8)., Conclusions: Theses findings suggest the need to formulate interventions aimed at enforcing the use of safety belts and prevention of related factors.

A study was conducted in children under five years old, in order to establish the association between the mother's work and the severity of unintentional injuries. The study was carried out at the emergency room of six pediatric hospitals in Mexico City. Cases were children with major injuries that required hospitalization, intensive care, surgery, or who died as a result of the injury. Controls were children of similar age, with minor injuries resolved at the emergency room. Sample size was 350 cases and 350 controls. Variables were grouped according to: mother's occupation; characteristics of the child, socioeconomic status, child care, and those related with home risk factors. Results showed a protective effect on severity of injuries when the mother worked outside home in comparison to mothers who do not work, (or 0.79, 95%CI 0.57-1.07). No differences were found with respect to sex and age of children. Mother age under 24 years old and low schooling (< 3 years of elementary school) were statistically significant with a risk of major injuries (or 2.30, 95%CI 1.5-3.4). Delay of demand of medical care after 60 minutes of injury occurrence is related with a risk of major injury (or 1.68, 95% CI 1.2-2.3). No differences related with household risk factors were found. Results provide valuable information about risk factors related with injury severity and the association with mother's work.

A case-control study was carried out, aimed at identifying and defining the individual, family, household and childcare social support network characteristics, more likely to be associated with the occurrence of accidental home injuries in 0-9 year-old children. This study was carried out in the emergency units of three pediatric hospitals in the Federal District. In this article we report the results of the descriptive analysis only of the cases. The results were as follows: male children (62%) and the one and two year-old children group (37%) were the most affected. Contusions, head injuries and fractures occupied the first three places, the main three causes being falls from one level to another (mainly in stairways and off the bed) falls on the same level (sliding, tripping or stumbling) and burns with boiling liquids (most frequently boiling water for bathing). A history of injuries was documented in only 15% of cases. Thirty nine percent of cases requested medical attention after one hour of the accident; 51% of these were hospitalized. In 25% of cases, the mother worked outside the home, being absent from 6 to 12 hours. Risk factors occurring most frequently were: unprotected electricity inlets (40%); products within reach of children: cleaning products (38%), makeup products (34%), plastic bags (30%) and tools (30%); lack of protection rails for cradles (30%) and for staircases (48%), and free access to roofs (44%). In 62 percent of cases some care was provided in the house of the injured child; twenty six percent counted on a support network, and 3 percent were by themselves. We present some proposals for epidemiologic and health services research, and stress the necessity to implement health education, social security and health services policies to favorably influence the solution of these problems.