Potential predictors of early whiplash
| Characteristic (number missing data) | No early whiplash, n (%) | Early whiplash, n (%) | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| *χ2; †Mann Whitney U; ‡Student’s t test. | |||
| BMI, body mass index. | |||
| Total number | 112 (22%) | 391 (78%) | |
| Female | 67 (59.8%) | 265 (67.8%) | 0.117* |
| Age, median (IQ range) | 52 (39.2–69) | 40 (30–53) | <0.005† |
| BMI, median (IQ range) | 25.8 (23.7–27.8) | 25.7 (23.2–29.6) | 0.650† |
| Previous neck pain | 4 (3.6%) | 85 (21.7%) | <0.005* |
| Current smoker (7) | 19 (17.3%) | 82 (21.2%) | 0.362* |
| Married | 85 (75.9%) | 277 (70.8%) | 0.294* |
| Occupation (17) | 0.088* | ||
| Unemployed or unskilled | 43 (40.2%) | 121 (31.9%) | |
| Semi-skilled or skilled | 42 (39.3%) | 204 (53.8%) | |
| Professional or managerial | 22 (20.6%) | 54 (14.2%) | |
| Car size (4) | 0.033* | ||
| Mini | 48 (44%) | 125 (32.1%) | |
| Small | 37 (33.9%) | 137 (35.1%) | |
| Large | 24 (22%) | 128 (32.8%) | |
| Headrest present | 103 (92%) | 357 (91.3%) | 0.826* |
| Aware of impending collision | 26 (23.2%) | 95 (24.3%) | 0.813* |
| Head turned | 26 (23.2%) | 130 (33.2%) | 0.043* |
| Struck car driveable | 64 (57.1%) | 250 (63.9%) | 0.190* |
| Striking car driveable | 65 (58%) | 245 (62.7%) | 0.375* |
| Struck car stationary | 75 (67%) | 324 (82.9%) | <0.005* |
| Speed difference (15), mean (SD) | 27.2 (12.7) | 29.1 (11.9) | 0.307‡ |