Occupational injury mortality in New Mexico.
OBJECTIVE
To examine specific risks for occupational injury deaths in New Mexico.


METHODS
Retrospective review of state medical investigator reports from 1980 through 1991 with regard to industry, agent of death, gender, ethnicity, location, and alcohol and other drug involvement.


METHODS
New Mexico residents who were fatally injured while on the job.


RESULTS
We identified 613 deaths: 87.1% unintentional, 10.6% homicides, and 2.3% suicides. Industries with the most fatalities were construction (11.8%), oil/gas (10.6%), and farming (8.6%). The primary agents of death were motor vehicles (41.7%), firearms (10.1%), and falling objects (10.0%). Almost all (95.6%) of the decedents were male. However, females were overrepresented among homicide deaths (P < .0001). Most unintentional injuries occurred in rural areas (69.1%), whereas most homicides (73.4%) and suicides (71.4%) occurred in urban areas. Drug or alcohol use was evident in 19.4% of cases.


CONCLUSIONS
New Mexico has a high rate of occupational injury death, which appears to be associated with rural location and use of motor vehicles and alcohol.
Fullerton
L
L
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, USA.
Olson
L
L
Crandall
C
C
Sklar
D
D
Zumwalt
R
R
D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000401:mortality* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006708:Homicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018986:Motor Vehicles; D009516:New Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D009790:Occupations; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D012737:Sex Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000401:mortality*