A Research Proposal

on
Epidemiological study of Road
Traffic Accident cases: A
study from Kathmandu valley
Barun Kumar Singh
BPH 19th batch
Roll no. 272
 Introduction
• Road traffic accident is due to
crashes originating, terminating or
involving a vehicle partly or fully on a
public highway. (WHO)
• Road traffic injuries are a major but
neglected global public health
problem, requiring concerted efforts
for effective and sustainable
prevention.
 Introduction (Contd)

• The dedication of the World Health

Organization’s World Health Day 2004 to Road
Safety is recognition of the global threat to road
traffic injuries.

• Worldwide, the no of people killed in road traffic

crashes each year is estimated at almost 1.2
million, while the number injured could be as
high as 50 million.
 Introduction (Contd)

• What is worse without increased efforts and

new initiatives, the total no of road traffic
deaths worldwide and injuries is forecast to rise
by some 65% between 2000 and 2020 and in
low income and middle income countries
deaths are expected to increase by as much as
80%.

• The majority of such deaths are currently

among “vulnerable road users”. Pedestrians,
pedal cyclists and motorcyclists.
 Problem statement

• 3rd leading cause of deaths, hospitalization, and

disabilities in 15-44 years
• Severe socioeconomic losses to the emerging
economy of the country.
• 3/4th are men in their productive years.
• Significantly affects the poorer communities of
the society.
• According to WHO data, deaths from RTA
account for around 25% of all deaths from
injury.
 Problem statement (contd)

• The road traffic death toll represents only the

“tip of iceberg” of total waste of human and
societal resources from road injuries.

• As per the Annual report of the Department of

Health Services Nepal, falls, burns and scalds
and dog bites were reported in large numbers.
 Problem statement ( contd )

• In Nepal as per estimates of morbidity and

mortality for 1998-1999, injury contributed 9%
of to total mortality and was the third leading
cause, with road accidents occupying the
eighth position in overall ranking.

• Fifty eight percent of injuries were in the 15-44

years age group with a male to female ratio of
3:1.
 Problem statement (contd)

• The reasons for the high burden of road traffic

injuries in developing countries are: growth in
the numbers of motor vehicles; crash in low
income countries; poor enforcement of traffic
safety regulations; inadequacy of health
infrastructure and poor access to health care.
 Rationale of Study

• Governments in low and middle income

countries – despite showing concern for more
than two decades – have not yet established
effective agencies or spent any money on
research.

• Currently Global Research funding per Disability

Adjusted Life Year of HIV, Asthma and Blindness
are $26.2, $10.8, $5.4 respectively, while only
$0.40 for RTIS
 Rationale (contd)

• Studies involving hospital, traffic police

and transport authorities can provide
important scientific basis to formulate,
implement and monitor the preventive
measures.

• These type of Health Research in context

of developing countries will be helpful
tool for achieving equity in Health and
Development.
 Specific Objectives

• To assess the prevalence of Road Traffic

Accident cases coming to Hospital.
• To describe the human related factors
associated with Road Traffic Accident cases.
• To describe the vehicle related factors
associated with Road Traffic Accident cases.
• To describe the environment related factors
associated with Road Traffic Accident cases.
 Research Question

 
• To determine the various
epidemiological factors related to Road
Traffic accident cases.
 Variables of the study

• Dependent variable
 Road traffic accident cases

• Independent variables

Human Vehicles environment

Age of victim Types of vehicle Time of
Sex of victim Ailment at the time occurrence
Place of
of injury occurrence
Parts of body Month of
occurrence
Victim group
Ailment at the time
of injury
Mode of accident
 Conceptual framework
Different typestypes
Different of vehiclesvehicles
and design,
overloaded vehicles
and design, ailment at the
time of accident

Vehicle
Vehicle

Human Road Traffic Environm

Injuries ent

Age,
Age, Sex, Types Types
Sex, if injury, mode of
if injury, Time of occurrence
accident, part of body injured, victim
mode of accident,
group, ailment part of
at the time of accident (distribution of cases of
body injured, victim injury by hours); place of
group, ailment at the time occurrence, months of
of accident occurrence
 Research methodology

• Study design
Retrospective, descriptive study (cross-
sectional
• Study area
Kathmandu valley
• Study population
Victims of Road Traffic crashes attending the
emergency department of OM Hospital during
last one year as well as data related to RTA
cases of Kathmandu valley obtained from police
source will be analyzed.
 Exclusion criteria

• Any injury on the road without involvement of a

vehicle (e.g. Person slipping and falling on the
road and sustaining injury)

• Injury involving a stationary vehicle(e.g.

persons getting injured while washing or
loading a vehicle exclude from study.
 Data collection tools and
techniques
No. Techniques Tools sources

1. Document Note cards Medical

review record of
method Note books emergency
department of
Checklist
hospital
Data
compilation
2. Document forms
Data Data related
review compilation to RTA
method forms recorded by
traffic police
of Kathmandu
 Plan for data processing and
analysis

• Data editing and coding will be carried out

manually on each day of data collection.
• Data entry and analyses will be done in data
base and SPSS software and support for
statistical tests and inference will be taken from
research guider, friends.
• Presenting with suitable charts, frequency
tables, and cross tables.
• Findings will be described in appropriate rate,
ratio and proportion.
 Ethical consideration

• Request letter from campus.

• Verbal consent will be taken.
• Objectives of the study will be clarified
• Confidentiality will be maintained.
 Reliability and validity

• The checklist and data compilation sheets will

be prepared as per suggestion and guidance of
research guide.
• Adequate literature will be reviewed.
• Editing and Cross checking of data.
 Expected outcomes

• Age and sex composition of affected population

will be identified
• Most probable time of road traffic accident will
be identified.
• The most important causes of RTA will be
determined.
• Types of vehicle involved in accident will be
determined.
• The most affected parts of body in RTA will be
identified.
 Limitation

• This study is based on document review, so

most of required information related to RTA
can’t be elicited.

• The study might be influenced by the quality

and completeness of the records available in
hospital and traffic police office
 work plan
Sn Activities Months
April may June July August September

1 Identification of ####
problem

2 Literature review #### ## ## ## ## ##

3 Proposal writing ### ## ##

4 Dev of Tools ##

5 Pre-testing Tools #
6 Data collection ## ##

7 Data analysis and ### ###

interpretation
8 Report drafting ##

9 Finalization of report ###

10 Report submission ##
 Budgeting
S.No Activities Estimated Remarks
. budget
(NRs.)
1. Literature search 500

2. Proposal preparation 400

3. Preparation of tools and pre 1200

testing

4. Travel cost 1200 By bus and

local vehicle
5. Field site stay for data collection 5000 For 15 days

6. Report Preparation 3000

Total 11300