Injuries A Leading Cause Of Death In Iowa

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 10 Apr 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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Injuries are a leading cause of death among Iowans with over 1,500 injury deaths each year - more than four per day - according to an inaugural report recently released by the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center. "The Burden of Injury in Iowa" report compiled 2002-2006 data from deaths and hospitalizations in the state.

"Injuries are major public health concerns that affect the lives of all Iowans, regardless of age, race, gender, or where they live," said Binnie LeHew, IDPH Disability and Violence Prevention Bureau chief. "We hope this report will stimulate and strengthen injury prevention efforts in Iowa among our state and local partners."

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of unintentional injury deaths for all Iowans. According to the report, teens and young adults ages 15-24 have the highest rates of hospitalizations and emergency department visits due to crashes. Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for Iowans age 1-34 and fall-related injury deaths are the highest cause among older Iowans age 65 and over. Suicide is the most frequent cause for Iowans ages 35 to 54 years and the third cause of injury death for all ages.

Smaller counties, those with populations less than 10,000, have the highest injury-death rate, while counties with populations of more than 50,000 had the lowest injury-death rate.

Deaths only account for a portion of the impact of injuries in lives of Iowans. According to the report, injuries led to more than 17,000 hospitalizations and more than 250,000 emergency room visits each year. These visits cost the state an average of $300 million per year.

In addition to the statewide information, the report compiled individual county-level injury data. For the first time, county officials will have access to comprehensive injury data for their specific area.

For the statewide report, visit here.

To view the county-by-county report, visit here.

Source
Iowa Department of Public Health