A case-control study examining the 1-yr motor vehicle accident experiences of 158 insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) cases and 158 nondiabetic siblings was undertaken to evaluate the risk of motor vehicle accidents among drivers with IDDM. In multivariate analyses the overall accident risk of the cases and control subjects did not differ significantly. Female diabetic drivers, however, showed a marked increased risk for motor vehicle accidents. The accident risk among female cases was five times higher than among the female control subjects (P < .05). Age and marital status were also significantly associated with accident probability in the multivariate model. The results suggest that IDDM could have an effect on the accident rate of diabetic drivers, particularly women. However, the traditional risk factors for automobile accidents, i.e., age and marital status, appear to have an equally strong influence on accident occurrence. Further studies are needed to 1) document the role of IDDM in accidents among representative samples of the IDDM population and 2) properly evaluate the licensing restrictions recommended for diabetic drivers.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Original Articles|
October 01 1988
Motor Vehicle Accidents and IDDM
Thomas J Songer, MPH;
Thomas J Songer, MPH
Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh; and Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
; and the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine
Denver, Colorado
Search for other works by this author on:
Ronald E LaPorte, PhD;
Ronald E LaPorte, PhD
Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh; and Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
; and the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine
Denver, Colorado
Search for other works by this author on:
Janice S Dorman, PhD;
Janice S Dorman, PhD
Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh; and Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
; and the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine
Denver, Colorado
Search for other works by this author on:
Trevor J Orchard, MBBCh;
Trevor J Orchard, MBBCh
Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh; and Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
; and the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine
Denver, Colorado
Search for other works by this author on:
Karen J Cruickshanks, PhD;
Karen J Cruickshanks, PhD
Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh; and Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
; and the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine
Denver, Colorado
Search for other works by this author on:
Dorothy J Becker, MBBCh;
Dorothy J Becker, MBBCh
Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh; and Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
; and the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine
Denver, Colorado
Search for other works by this author on:
Allan L Drash, MD
Allan L Drash, MD
Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh; and Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
; and the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine
Denver, Colorado
Search for other works by this author on:
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Thomas J. Songer, MPH, Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261.
Citation
Thomas J Songer, Ronald E LaPorte, Janice S Dorman, Trevor J Orchard, Karen J Cruickshanks, Dorothy J Becker, Allan L Drash; Motor Vehicle Accidents and IDDM. Diabetes Care 1 October 1988; 11 (9): 701–707. https://doi.org/10.2337/diacare.11.9.701
Download citation file: