Prevalence and Socio-Economic Determinants of Disabilities Caused by Road Traffic Accidents in Iran; A National Survey

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and socio-economic disparity among victims with disabilities caused by RTAs in Iran as country with a high rate of accidents. METHOD: The source of data was the Iranian Multiple Indicator Demographic and Health Survey, a nationwide cross-sectional study. The sampling framework was based on the population and housing census for Iran in 2006. Provincial samples ranged from 400 to 6,400 households. The target sample was 3,096 clusters consisting of 2,187 urban and 909 rural clusters. In the present study, all but a few indicators are reported at provincial levels. Mortality indicators, accident and disability rates, low birth weight rate and young age at marriage rates are presented at the national level only. Logistic regression was performed to investigate the individual and family factors influencing RTAs that lead to disability in Iran. CONCLUSION: In addition to the risks associated with socio-economic groups, particularly vulnerable groups, RTADs have consequences which can lead to further marginalization of individuals, can affect their quality of life and damage the community as a whole.