The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #71767

Reshma N. Patel and L. J. David Wallace, MSEH. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy, NE, MS-F41, Atlanta, GA 30341

We illustrated injury patterns and disparity among Native American children using color composite maps that show regional injury mortality rates across the 12 Indian Health Service (IHS) Areas. Causes of death were defined by the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, External Cause Codes (ICD9 E-codes) and included causes due to motor vehicle crashes, firearm use, suicide, homicide, drowning, fire, and suffocation. Data regarding fatal injuries among Native American children, aged 0-19 years, were drawn from National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) mortality data organized by the IHS. During 1989-1998, injuries caused 3,314 deaths among Native American children residing in the 12 IHS regions. Motor vehicle crashes and firearm use were the two leading causes of injury-related death in all IHS areas. Motor vehicle-related death rates for 8 of the 12 Areas were equal to or greater than the top 5% of state rates in the nation. The Alaska Native suicide rate was nearly eight times greater than that of all American youth. The Navajo pedestrian death rate was seven times greater than that of the nation. In Aberdeen, the fire-burn death rate was nearly six times greater than that of the nation. Injuries and violence are the leading cause of death for Native American children, accounting for over half of all deaths among ages 0-19 years. Geographic mapping of injury mortality serves as a tool to increase awareness both of injuries as a public health problem and of the elevated risk of injury death in specific areas or groups.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the presentation participants will be able to:
• Describe the leading causes of injury death for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children ages 0-19 years.
• Understand the injury disparity of American Indian and Alaska Native children compared to white and African American children for the leading causes of injury death.
• Understand the wide variation in AI/AN injury rates by cause and geographic region of the country .

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.