scholarly journals Mortality from injury, overdose and suicide during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, March-July, 2020

Author(s):  
Jeremy S. Faust ◽  
Chengan Du ◽  
Katherine Dickerson Mayes ◽  
Shu-Xia Li ◽  
Zhenqiu Lin ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with substantial rates of all-cause excess mortality. The contribution of external causes of death to excess mortality including drug overdose, homicide, suicide, and unintentional injuries during the initial outbreak in the United States is less well documented. Methods Using public data published by the National Center for Health Statistics on February 10, 2021, we measured monthly excess mortality (the gap between observed and expected deaths) from five external causes using national-level data published by National Center for Health Statistics; assault (homicide); intentional self-harm (suicide); accidents (unintentional injuries); and motor vehicle accidents. We used seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (sARIMA) models developed with cause-specific monthly mortality counts and US population data from 2015-2019 and estimated the contribution of individual cause-specific mortality to all-cause excess mortality from March-July 2020. Results From March-July, 2020, 212,825 (95% CI 136,236-290,776) all-cause excess deaths occurred in the US). There were 8,540 excess drug overdoses (all intents) (95% CI 5,106 to 11,975), accounting for 4% of all excess mortality; 1,455 excess homicide deaths (95% CI 708 to 2202, accounting for 0.7% of excess mortality; 5,492 excess deaths due to unintentional accidents occurred (95% CI 85 to 10,899, accounting for 2.6% of excess mortality. Though a non-significantly 135 (95% CI -1361 to 1,630) more MVA deaths were recorded during the study period, a significant decrease in April (525; 95% CI -817 to -233) and significant increases in June-July (965; 95% CI 348 to 1,587) were observed. Suicide deaths were statistically lower than projected by 2,067 (95% CI 941-3,193 fewer deaths). Meaning Excess deaths from drug overdoses, homicide, and addicents occurred during the pandemic but represented a small fraction of all-cause excess mortality. The excess external causes of death, however, still represent thousands of lives lost. Notably, deaths from suicide were lower than expected and therefore did not contribute to excess mortality.

Author(s):  
Kerry S. Wilson ◽  
Tahira Kootbodien ◽  
Nisha Naicker

Mining is a recognized high-risk industry with a relatively high occurrence of occupational injuries and disease. In this study, we looked at the differences in mortality between male and female miners in South Africa. Data from Statistics South Africa regarding occupation and cause of death in the combined years 2013–2015 were analyzed. Proportional mortality ratios (PMRs) were calculated to investigate excess mortality due to external causes of death by sex in miners and in manufacturing laborers. Results: Women miners died at a significantly younger age on average (44 years) than all women (60 years), women manufacturers (53 years), and male miners (55 yrs). There was a significantly increased proportion of deaths due to external causes in women miners (12.4%) compared to all women (4.8%) and women manufacturers (4.6%). Significantly increased PMRs were seen in car occupant accidents (467, 95% confidence interval (CI) 151–1447), firearm discharge (464, 95% CI 220–974), and contact with blunt objects (2220 95% CI 833–5915). Conclusion: This descriptive study showed excess deaths in women miners due to external causes. Road accidents, firearm discharge, and contact with blunt objects PMRs were significantly increased. Further research is required to confirm the underlying reasons for external causes of death and to develop recommendations to protect women miners.


1993 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 843-854 ◽  
Author(s):  
James A. Thorson

External causes of death (accidents, suicides, and homicides) account for slightly more than seven percent of all deaths in the United States. This percentage varies, however, from less than five percent in Rhode Island to almost fifteen percent in New Mexico and over twenty-five percent in Alaska. Relative lethality from external causes among the states is examined, and several explanatory hypotheses for observed differences are presented.


2007 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loren Lipworth ◽  
Olof Nyren ◽  
Weimin Ye ◽  
Jon P. Fryzek ◽  
Robert E. Tarone ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Anatoly Vishnevsky

The article looks at different approaches to the conceptualization of the modern stage of mortality reduction (the "new stages” of the epidemiological transition, "the second epidemiological revolution”, the “health transition”). During this stage, which has lasted for at least half a century, revolutionary changes have taken place in most developed countries. These changes manifest themselves in the drastic expansion of the degree of control over non-infectious causes of death—particularly over diseases of the circulatory system, neoplasms, and other non-communicable diseases, as well as over external causes of death. As a consequence of these changes, there has been a rapid shift of deaths from the abovementioned causes to older ages, an increase in the mean age of death from these causes, and, ultimately, a significant rise in life expectancy. Russia, unfortunately, is watching this revolution from the outside, without taking any part in it. The age distribution of deaths from major classes of causes of death in Russia has not changed over the past half-century, life expectancy has stagnated, and Russia has increasingly lagged behind the majority of developed countries with respect to this indicator. Thus, the “second epidemiological revolution” has not yet to occur in Russia.


Author(s):  
Ekaterina Kvasha ◽  
Tatiana Kharkova ◽  
Valeriy Yumaguzin

The article discusses long-term mortality trends (since 1956) from external causes of death in Russia. Russia has long lagged behind developed countries in this domain. The level of mortality from external causes of death remains high and its structure is still archaic with large contribution of homicides, alcohol poisoning and injuries of undetermined intent. Excess number of deaths from life tables of Russia and Western European countries is compared. It is shown that in Russia the greatest excess losses are associated with mortality from poisonings among both sexes, suicide among men and homicide among women. Mortality from external causes, along with mortality from diseases of the circulatory system, has had a significant impact on life expectancy. In general, over the period 1956-2012 the increase in mortality from external causes in the 15-64 age group reduced life expectancy by 2.6 years for males and 0.7 years for females. The decline, starting in 2003, of mortality from external causes of death has slightly reduced the gap between Russia and developed countries, bringing the current Russian level closer to those levels reached in Russia in the mid-1960s and 1980s. However, given the fluctuations of mortality from external causes, it is premature to say whether the current decline in mortality is robust.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana A Glei

COVID-19 has prematurely ended many lives, particularly among the oldest Americans, but the pandemic has also had an indirect effect on health and non-COVID mortality among the working-age population, who have suffered the brunt of the economic consequences. This analysis quantifies the changes in mortality for selected causes of death during the COVID 19 pandemic up to December 31, 2020, and investigates whether the levels of excess mortality varied by age group. The data comprise national-level monthly death counts by age group and selected causes of death from January 1999 to December 2020 combined with annual mid-year population estimates over the same period. A negative binomial regression model was used to estimate monthly cause-specific excess mortality during 2020 controlling for the pre-pandemic mortality patterns by age, calendar year, and season. To determine whether excess mortality varied by age, we tested interactions between broad age groups and dichotomous indicators for the pre-pandemic (January-February) and the pandemic (March-December) portions of 2020. In relative terms, excess all cause mortality (including COVID-19) peaked in December at ages 25-44 (RR=1.58 relative to 2019, 95% CI=1.50-1.68). Excluding COVID-19, all of the excess mortality occurred between ages 15 and 64, peaking in July among those aged 25-44 (RR=1.45, 95% CI 1.37-1.53). We find notable excess mortality during March-December 2020 for many causes (i.e., influenza/pneumonia, other respiratory diseases, diabetes, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, kidney disease, and external causes), but almost exclusively among young and midlife (aged 25-74) Americans. For those aged 75 and older, there was little excess mortality from causes other than COVID-19 except from Alzheimer's disease. Excess non-COVID mortality may have resulted, at least partly, from incorrectly classified COVID-19 deaths, but neither misclassification nor an atypical flu season that disproportionately affected younger people is likely to explain the increase in mortality from external causes, which was evident even during January-February 2020. Exploratory analyses suggest that drug-related mortality may be driving the early rise in external mortality. The growth in drug overdoses well before there was any hint of a pandemic suggests it is probably not solely an indirect effect of COVID-19, although the pandemic may have exacerbated the problem.


2019 ◽  
Vol 72 (5) ◽  
pp. 1087-1091
Author(s):  
Valentyn M. Dvornyk ◽  
Inna V. Bielikova ◽  
Ludmyla M. Shylkina ◽  
Valentyna L. Filatova ◽  
Natalia M. Martynenko

Introduction: Saving and improvement of population’ health is one of the main priorities of the policy in any country. Studying of the level and causes of mortality is a powerful tool for assessing the effectiveness of health care systems. WHO recommends using of the European classification of preventable causes of death that based on three levels of prevention. The aim of this study is to compare the level and structure of mortality of the population of Ukraine and the Poltava region, to substantiate scientific approaches to the study and identification of those causes of death that can be prevented in order to formulate prevention programs at different level. Materials and methods: In research are used the information from the State Statistics Service of Ukraine and from the Center for Medical Statistics of the MoH of Ukraine. Review: Despite the positive dynamics of mortality in recent years, both in the Poltava region and in Ukraine, the indicators remain extremely negative. About 73.3% of all fatalities in Ukraine are three main types of causes cardiovascular diseases, external causes of death and neoplasms. In the Poltava region, 70.56% of all causes of death are due to cardiovascular disease; neoplasms occupy 13.88%; external causes - 4.87%; diseases of the digestive system - 3,06%; respiratory diseases - 1.31% of the causes of death. Conclusions: The mortality rate both in the Poltava region and in Ukraine has tendency for declines, but remains rather high. General trends in the structure of causes of death: in the first place are diseases of the cardiovascular system, the second - neoplasms, the third -external causes. Structuring of the causes of death that based on the principle of prevention in Ukraine do not conduct.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiori Tanaka ◽  
Sarah K. Abe ◽  
Norie Sawada ◽  
Taiki Yamaji ◽  
Taichi Shimazu ◽  
...  

Abstract Although empirical data suggest a possible link between female reproductive events and risk of nonfatal accidents and suicidal behaviors, evidence to determine these effects on mortality is scarce. This study investigated the association between female reproductive factors and the risk of external causes of death among middle-aged Japanese women. We used a population-based cohort study consisting of 71 698 women residing in 11 public health center areas across Japan between 1990 and 1994. Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) of the risk of all external causes, suicide, and accidents according to female reproductive factors at the baseline survey. During 1 028 583 person-years of follow-up for 49 279 eligible subjects (average 20.9 years), we identified 328 deaths by all injuries. Among parous women, ever versus never breastfeeding [0.67 (95% CI: 0.49–0.92)] was associated with a decreased risk of all injuries. Risk of suicide was inversely associated with ever versus never parity [0.53 (95% CI: 0.32–0.88)]. A lower risk of death by accidents was seen in ever breastfeeding [0.63 (95% CI: 0.40–0.97)] compared to never breastfeeding. This study suggests that parity and breastfeeding are associated with reduced risk of death by all external causes, suicide and/or accidents among Japanese women.


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