Childhood injury mortality in Ohio, 1979 to 1986. Setting priorities for prevention
R. S. Hopkins, J. V. Writer, B. K. Mortensen and R. W. Indian
Division of Toxicology and Epidemiology, Ohio Department of Health, Columbus 43266-0118.
Injury deaths in Ohio children aged 1 to 16 years account for less than
0.5% of all deaths in the state but 6% of all years of life lost before age
65 years. In this study, injury mortality rates were calculated by sex for
three age groups (1 to 5, 6 to 11, and 12 to 16 years) and three population
groups (metropolitan white, metropolitan nonwhite, and nonmetropolitan).
The 15 metropolitan counties were those with a central city of at least a
population of 50,000, containing 60% of the state's population. Fire is the
leading cause of injury mortality for metropolitan children aged 1 to 5
years, while motor vehicle injuries and drowning are the leading causes for
nonmetropolitan children in this age group. Fire is also the leading cause
for metropolitan nonwhite children aged 6 to 11 years, while motor vehicle
injuries are the leading cause for nonmetropolitan children, and pedestrian
injuries are the leading cause for metropolitan white children. For
nonmetropolitan and metropolitan white children aged 12 to 16 years, motor
vehicle injuries are the leading cause, while for metropolitan nonwhite
children homicide is the leading cause. Excess deaths for each cause were
estimated by calculating the number of deaths expected for each age group
if the rate experienced by the second-lowest population race group had
applied to the whole population in that age group, and comparing this with
the observed number. Using this approach, highest priority would be placed
on prevention of motor vehicle deaths in 12- to 16-year-old nonmetropolitan
and metropolitan white children, of fire deaths in metropolitan nonwhite
children aged 1 to 11 years, and of drowning deaths in boys aged 12 to 16
years in all three population groups.
