Determinants of disability three months after hospital discharge among patients with road traffic injuries at the university teaching hospital

The global community faces a significant disability burden from road traffic injuries (RTIs). This study investigated factors associated with disability three months after hospital discharge among patients with RTIs at the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia. We analysed secondary data from a prospective observational study, conducted between October 2021 and April 2022, of adults aged ≥ 18 with moderate-to-severe RTIs. Patients were contacted at three months after hospital discharge to assess their disability using WHODAS-II. We used multiple linear regression analysis to determine the risk factors of disability level using Stata 17. The study involved 147 patients, with 85.7% presenting with some level of disability ranging from mild to extreme disability (mean disability score = 9.8 ± 9.1), and 81.2% of participants who were working prior to the injury returned to work. Age, unemployed, spinal injuries, multiple injuries, moderate Glasgow Coma Scale score and length of hospital stay were significantly associated with higher disability score following RTIs. Most patients still experience disability three months after hospital discharge and this is influenced by sociodemographic and injury factors, emphasising the need to improve road safety infrastructure, enforce road traffic laws and invest in rehabilitation.