Repercussões sociais das seqüelas físicas em adolescentes vítimas de acidentes de trânsito

Social repercussions of physical sequelae in adolescents victims of traffic accidents

Abstract

Traffic accidents represent important cause of morbimortality. This study evaluated the physical sequelae secondary to traffic accidents, and their social consequences to 10 to 19-year-old adolescents. A retrospective study was done on the medical reports of the adolescents who were victims of traffic accidents. Of these, 185 adolescents participated in interviews and evaluation of the sequelae from one to three years after the accident. Most of the victims were men (74.6%); motorcycle accidents were predominant (38.9%). Of these, 56 were drivers and riders and 32.1% were younger than 18; of those 18 or older, 58.8% didn’t have driver’s license and 72.2% of the motorcyclists and 92.3% of the car occupants didn’t use safety equipment. The occurence of sequelae (p = 0.008) was positively related to the trauma severity; 34.1% had physical sequelae. The presence of sequelae interfered in aspects of social life of the adolescents. The group with sequelae presented significant differences when compared with the group without sequelae, in relation to dropping school (p = 0.025); less or no sport activities (p < 0.001); changes in leisure (p < 0.001); loss of friends (p = 0.020); family (p = 0.01) and affectionate (p = 0.033) relationships, and more feelings of unhappiness (p < 0.001) and sleep disorders (p < 0.001). The traffic accidents were an important cause of morbidity in the sample studied and they left physical sequelae in one out of three injuried adolescents.