Relationship between Trauma Death, Disability and Geographical factor: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Trauma is a global health problem. The causes of trauma-led deaths may also be diverse depending on socioeconomic and geographical factors, outlining various regional patterns. There are few local studies about trauma in consideration of socio-demographical and geographical factors. The aim of the study is to provide policy insights for reduction of trauma death or disorder rates by investigating the relationships between trauma and geographical factors.

METHOD: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we conducted a literature search of international and Korean databases from 2000 to 2020.

RESULTS: Thirty-two studies showed a positive relationship between the outcomes of major trauma and geographical factors. The study investigated regional factors including economic factors such as urban size, GDP, and poverty rate, as well as hospital factors such as presence of trauma centers, and number of hospital beds. There was a tendency for higher mortality rates in rural and low-income areas, and most literature reported that the presence of trauma centers had an impact on reducing mortality rates.

CONCLUSION: Our study showed that geographic factors have impacts on trauma outcomes. This suggests that appropriate care plans should be considered and developed by taking a geographical approach to reduce the rates of death and disability caused by trauma.