Dickinson-Iron County Critical Health Indicators
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Unintentional Injury Deaths
What Is It?
Motor vehicle crashes are the most common cause of unintentional injuries deaths, accounting for almost 50 percent of all unintentional injury deaths. The trend for motor vehicle deaths has decreased over 22 percent since 1989. The introduction of advanced safety equipment in cars combined with stricter laws regarding drinking and driving has pushed the trend downward since the late 1970s. The rates for other unintentional injury deaths have remained relatively stable.
How are Dickinson and Iron Counties doing?
The 1998 age-adjusted death rate of 34.8 and 41.9 per 100,000 population for Dickinson and Iron Counties, respectively, is higher than the state average.
Unintentional Injury Deaths and Death Rates
Dickinson County Residents, 1995-2000
| Three-Year Moving Averages | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | All Ages | Age Under 25 | Age 25 - 74 | Age 75 and Older | ||||||||
| Average |
Age-Adjusted Rate |
Average |
Age-Specific Rate |
Average |
Age-Specific Rate |
Average |
Age-Specific Rate |
|||||
| 1998-2000 | 9.7 | 34.3 ±12.9 | 1.7 | * | 5.3 | 33.5 ±25.0 | 2.7 | 97.9 ±35.4 | ||||
| 1997-1999 | 12.0 | 42.2 ±14.2 | 2.3 | 27.8 ±37.8 | 6.7 | 41.8 ±22.4 | 3.0 | 111.4 ±33.3 | ||||
| Five-Year Moving Averages | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | All Ages | Age Under 25 | Age 25 - 74 | Age 75 and Older | ||||||||
| Average |
Age-Adjusted Rate |
Average |
Age-Specific Rate |
Average |
Age-Specific Rate |
Average |
Age-Specific Rate |
|||||
| 1996-2000 | 10.2 | 35.2 ±10.0 | 2.0 | 23.8 ±31.6 | 5.2 | 32.6 ±19.6 | 3.0 | 111.9 ±25.8 | ||||
| 1995-1999 | 10.0 | 34.0 ±9.8 | 1.8 | 21.2 ±33.3 | 5.0 | 31.3 ±20.0 | 3.2 | 121.4 ±25.0 | ||||
|
Note: The manner
in which underlying cause of death is coded and classified was
revised in 1999 to reflect changing medical opinion and practice.
The comparability between classification schemes for this particular
cause of death is lower (1.03), meaning that caution should be taken
in drawing specific inferences from comparisons of mortality
statistics over time.
|
||||||||||||
Unintentional Injury Deaths and Death Rates
Iron County Residents, 1995-2000
| Three-Year Moving Averages | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | All Ages | Age Under 25 | Age 25 - 74 | Age 75 and Older | ||||||||
| Average |
Age-Adjusted Rate |
Average |
Age-Specific Rate |
Average |
Age-Specific Rate |
Average |
Age-Specific Rate |
|||||
| 1998-2000 | 8.0 | 51.9 ±23.4 | 1.0 | * | 4.0 | 51.4 ±28.9 | 3.0 | 168.1 ±33.3 | ||||
| 1997-1999 | 9.0 | 53.7 ±22.9 | 1.0 | * | 4.3 | 55.4 ±27.7 | 3.7 | 206.9 ±30.2 | ||||
| Five-Year Moving Averages | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | All Ages | Age Under 25 | Age 25 - 74 | Age 75 and Older | ||||||||
| Average |
Age-Adjusted Rate |
Average |
Age-Specific Rate |
Average |
Age-Specific Rate |
Average |
Age-Specific Rate |
|||||
| 1996-2000 | 8.6 | 52.6 ±17.7 | 1.0 | * | 3.8 | 48.5 ±22.9 | 3.8 | 215.0 ±22.9 | ||||
| 1995-1999 | 9.4 | 58.0 ±18.7 | 1.6 | 47.6 ±35.4 | 3.8 | 48.3 ±22.9 | 4.0 | 228.6 ±22.4 | ||||
|
Note: The manner
in which underlying cause of death is coded and classified was
revised in 1999 to reflect changing medical opinion and practice.
The comparability between classification schemes for this particular
cause of death is lower (1.03), meaning that caution should be taken
in drawing specific inferences from comparisons of mortality
statistics over time.
|
||||||||||||
How is the State of Michigan doing?
Unintentional injuries are the fifth leading cause of all deaths in Michigan and the third leading cause of Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL) for people below the age of 75.
In 2000, there were 3,243deaths due to unintentional injuries in Michigan. The age-adjusted rate for unintentional injury deaths was33.2 per 100,000 population.
Related Link: Age-adjusted and Age-specific Unintentional Injury Mortality Rates by Race and Sex, Michigan Residents, 1989-1998.
How do Dickinson and Iron Counties compare with Michigan and the U.S.?
The unintentional injury death rate for Michigan has been consistently lower than the U.S. rate. Michigan's 1998-2000 age-adjusted death rate of 32.5 was lower than the U.S. rate of 35.5. Unintentional injuries were the fifth leading cause of all deaths in the U.S. and the third leading cause of YPLL in 1997. Dickinson County (34.3) and Iron County's (51.9) 2000rates are higher than state averages.
Related Link: Age-Adjusted Unintentional Injuries Death Rates by Race and Sex, Michigan and United States Residents, 1980-1998.
How are different populations affected?
Unintentional injuries were the leading cause of death to Michigan residents who are at least one year old but under age 35. Unintentional injuries such as burns, crashes, drownings, and poisonings account for more than 40 percent of all deaths in the U.S. for youths aged 15 to 24 and for a quarter of all deaths for those aged 25 to 44.
Unintentional injury-related deaths disproportionally affect African-Americans. The Michigan 1998 age-adjusted rate for African-Americans was 42 compared to 33.2 for whites.
Men are more than twice as likely as women to die of unintentional injuries. In 2000, the Michigan age-adjusted unintentional injury death rate was 46.9 for men and 21.4 for women. The rate for African-American men was the highest at 64.6.
What other information is important to know?
Severe injuries can result in long-term physical and mental impairments. For every unintentional injury resulting in death there are almost 10 that result in disabilities.
What is the Dickinson-Iron District Health Department doing to affect this indicator?
In 1994 Upper Peninsula Partnerships for Safety (UPPS), a nonprofit organization was established in
the
Upper Peninsula to support and promote safety/injury prevention efforts throughout the U.P. This
organization would eliminate duplication efforts by canning safety presentations for EMS, fire, and law
enforcement professionals to share. All children would be served. Even those in small, remote towns with volunteer
first
responders and fire departments. Preparation time would be saved and quality as well as quantity
would occur with collaboration!