Behavioral and psychological risk factors for traumatic injury.

The objectives of the present study were to determine the behavioral and psychological risk factors associated with injury. The most widely investigated risk factor for injury is alcohol use. However, other behavioral and psychological risk factors may also contribute to injuries. This study examined the association of alcohol use, injury-related risk behaviors, and psychological characteristics with injury status. A hospital-based case control study of 177 patients admitted for treatment of traumatic injury, and 195 general surgery patients as controls, was conducted. Alcohol use, injury-related risk behaviors, impulsivity, sensation seeking, and risk perception were assessed. The results from a multivariate analysis controlling for age, gender, and ethnicity indicated that, in addition to alcohol consumption (OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.1-4.5), driving (OR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.7-3.5) and violence-related risk behaviors (OR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.0-2.2) are significantly associated with injury. In conclusion, the engagement in injury-related risk behaviors, including alcohol use, is strongly associated with injury status. Brief interventions that directly address these behavioral risk patterns in injured patients may reduce their risk of future injury.