Epidemiological analysis of gender and age differences in road traffic deaths in Bishkek city (2019-2023)

Abstract

Introduction. Road traffic injuries are a major public health problem due to high mortality and disability. According to the World Health Organization, 1.3 million people die every year in the world, and more than 90% of deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. This problem is also relevant for Kyrgyzstan, due to the ever-increasing level of motorization, urbanization and insufficient road safety standards. The purpose of this study was to assess the gender-age characteristics of mortality from road traffic injuries in the period from 2019 to 2023. Materials and methods. As a source of information, the data of the reporting form C51 "Distribution of deaths by sex and age groups and causes of death" and indicators of the permanent population of Bishkek by sex and age groups for 2019-2023 of the National Statistical Committee under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic (NSC) were used. Calculations were carried out according to ICD-10 revision codes V00-V99 "Transport accidents". Age groups for each gender are distributed in increments of 5 years. Statistical data processing, epidemiological analysis and visualization were carried out in Microsoft Excel software. Outcomes. According to the National Statistics Committee, in the period 2019-2023, 566 people died in road accidents in Bishkek, including 179 women and 368 men. Of the total number of deaths from road traffic injuries, the share of people of working age (16-64 years) was, on averag, 8% among women and 76.8% among men over 5 years. Mortality rates increased, with increasing age, in both age groups. Among men, mortality rates have risen more rapidly since adolescence. People over 70 years of age had a greater risk of dying from road injuries than other age groups, especially among men -169.5 per 100,000 population in 2022. An analysis by year showed a decrease in mortality in 2020, which is due to a decrease in he overall activity of the population during the Covid 19 pandemic, with a subsequent increase in 2021-2023. Findings. The main burden of deaths from road accidents in Bishkek falls on men of working age and the elderly of both sexes. Men are at a higher risk of dying from road traffic accidents, which may be due to behavioral factors and gender stereotypes in driving style. These trends highlight the tneed to develop gender- and age-specific prevention programs to reduce road traffic deaths.

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