Table 1.
Characteristics of motor vehicle accident cases and matched controls
| Characteristics | Cases (74,503) | Controls (744,663) |
|---|---|---|
| Age, n (%) | ||
| 67–69 years | 23,764 (31.9) | 237,640 (31.9) |
| 70–72 years | 18,976 (25.5) | 189,760 (25.5) |
| 73–75 years | 13,270 (17.8) | 132,700 (17.8) |
| > 75 years | 18,493 (24.8) | 184,563 (24.8) |
| Follow-up, mean (SD) years | 3.05 (2.4) | 3.05 (2.4) |
| Male, n (%) | 60,567 (81.3) | 605,467 (81.3) |
| Accidents in the 5 years prior cohort entry, n (%) | ||
| Causing a fatality | 51 (0.07) | 394 (0.05) |
| Causing severe injuries | 633 (0.8) | 4,512 (0.6) |
| Causing light injuries | 4,539 (6.1) | 32,143 (4.3) |
| Causing <$500 material damage | 4,820 (6.5) | 31,450 (4.2) |
| Causing ≥$500 material damage | 17,771 (23.8) | 126,721 (17.0) |
| Number of general practice visits, n (%)a | ||
| 0 | 7,271 (9.8) | 80,445 (10.8) |
| 1–3 | 24,114 (32.4) | 253,198 (34.0) |
| 4–9 | 29,689 (39.8) | 289,772 (38.9) |
| ≥10 | 13,429 (18.0) | 121,248 (16.3) |
| Number of drug categories among cardiovascular drugs, glucose-lowering drugs, anti-infective agents and bronchodilators, n (%)a | ||
| 0 | 25,242 (33.9) | 257,260 (34.5) |
| 1 | 32,368 (43.4) | 328,476 (44.1) |
| 2 | 13,324 (17.9) | 127,118 (17.1) |
| 3 | 3,365 (4.5) | 30,139 (4.0) |
| 4 | 204 (0.3) | 1,670 (0.2) |
| Number of distinct drugs, n (%)a | ||
| 0–2 | 16,961 (22.8) | 180,344 (24.2) |
| 3–5 | 22,707 (30.5) | 233,738 (31.4) |
| 6–9 | 20,788 (27.9) | 202,128 (27.1) |
| 10–13 | 9,048 (12.1) | 84,510 (11.3) |
| >13 | 4,999 (6.7) | 43,943 (5.9) |
| Use of central nervous system drugs, n (%)b | ||
| Anticonvulsants | 891 (1.2) | 8,151 (1.1) |
| Anti-Parkinson drugs | 373 (0.5) | 4,067 (0.5) |
| Opioid | 494 (0.7) | 5,646 (0.8) |
| Other central nervous system drugs | 559 (0.8) | 5,192 (0.7) |
aDuring the year prior to the index date
bDispensed during the 90-day period prior to the index date