Research Papers (2009 – 2013)

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of various medical conditions and medications to treat the conditions on subsequent motor vehicle injuries (MVIs), using the National Population Health Survey, a large nationally representative sample of Canadians who have been surveyed every two years since 1994. Respondents were queried on whether they had any of the following long-term conditions that have been diagnosed by a health professional: asthma, arthritis/rheumatism, back problems excluding arthritis, high blood pressure, migraine headaches, pain, diabetes, heart disease and distress. Respondents were also asked whether they had taken any medications during the past month for asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart, Demerol/codeine/morphine, pain killers, tranquillizers and sleeping medication. Medical conditions and medications were subjected to regression analyses where medical conditions and medications served as controls for each other. Increased odds of subsequent MVIs were found for asthma, back problems, and migraines, but not for arthritis/rheumatism, high blood pressure, and diabetes, regardless of whether medication was used to treat the condition. However, there were some medical conditions for which medication use may have increased or decreased risk. For both back pain and distress the odds ratios were lower when medication use was controlled for, while for heart disease, medication may have had a protective effect. Respondents reporting the use of pain medication, codeine/Demerol/morphine, heart disease medication and antidepressants had increased odds of subsequent MVI, independent of related medical condition. This study suggests that the relationship between medical conditions and medications is complex and in need of further study.

Piotr Wilk, Evelyn Vingilis