BACKGROUND:
Approximately 40% of all traffic fatalities are associated with the use of alcohol. Hospitalization for serious injury after a motor vehicle crash related to use of alcohol may be an opportunity to change drinking behaviors in non-alcohol-dependent drinkers, thereby reducing the risk for future disability and death. OBJECTIVES:
To determine the degree to which non-alcohol-dependent adults aged 18 to 45 years with alcohol-related vehicular trauma attributed their injury to use of alcohol. METHODS:
During hospitalization, 132 subjects involved in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes were interviewed. The interviews included the question, To what extent do you believe your alcohol consumption was responsible for this injury? Responses were measured on a 7-point scale ranging from 1 (not at all) to 7 (totally). RESULTS:
In response to the question about attribution of injury to alcohol, 37.8% of subjects responded not at all, 24.3 responded somewhat, and 37.9% responded mostly or totally. Spearman rank correlation between attribution of injury to alcohol involvement and blood alcohol content at admission was r = 0.440 (P \u3c .001). CONCLUSIONS:
More than 60% of patients injured in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes attributed their injury partly or totally to use of alcohol. When alcohol-free, hospitalized patients with higher blood levels of alcohol on admission were more likely than those with lower levels to attribute their injury to alcohol. Hospitalization for a motor vehicle crash related to use of alcohol provides an opportunity for interventions to decrease drinking
