Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #103744

Michael J. Kallan, MS¹, Dennis R. Durbin, MD, MSCE², Michael R. Elliott, PhD¹, Kristy B. Arbogast, PhD², and Flaura K. Winston, MD, PhD². (1) Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania, 423 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19104, 215-573-4594, mkallan@cceb.upenn.edu, (2) TraumaLink, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 34th Street and Civic Center Boulevard, 3535 TraumaLink, 10th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104

BACKGROUND: The U.S. passenger vehicle fleet has undergone a steady change over the past fifteen years, led by increased market share of the SUV. For family travel, it has emerged as a more popular alternative compared to the minivan. The objective of this analysis was to quantify the risk of injury to child occupants in minivans vs. SUVs.

METHODS: Data collected on child occupants from 3/1/00-12/31/03 via insurance claim records and telephone survey. Inclusion criteria were: insured minivans and SUVs with at least one child occupant <16, model year 1990+, involved in a crash in one of sixteen states and DC. Injuries defined as those with AIS scores 2+, plus facial and scalp lacerations.

RESULTS: The distribution of the 5,086 children representing 100,726 child occupants within the study population was: minivan (55%) and SUV (45%). Child occupants in minivans (0.8%) were less likely to be injured in crashes than those in SUVs (1.2%), even after adjusting for passenger and crash factors (adjusted OR=0.7, 95% CI=0.5-1.0). There was a significant interaction (p=0.05) between vehicle model year and vehicle type. In late model vehicles (1998-2004), the injury risk to child occupants in minivans is half that in SUVs (adjusted OR=0.5, 95% CI=0.3-0.9).

IMPLICATIONS: Child occupants in minivans were at a reduced risk of injury in a crash when compared to children in SUVs, even after adjusting for passenger and crash factors. This result is observed only in late model vehicles; no difference was found in earlier model year vehicles.

Learning Objectives:

• Evaluate differences in injury risk of child occupants in minivans vs. SUVs involved in a crash.
• Recognize that differences in injury risk across vehilce types may be due to other passenger or vehicle characteristics.

Keywords: Motor Vehicles, Pediatrics

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.