[Mortality ranking in the norwest of Mexico according to the years of productive life lost index].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the order of death causes in the Northwestern states of Mexico using the years of potential life lost (YPLL) index.


METHODS
The 1995 INEGI mortality data base for the states of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sinaloa and Sonora was used to estimate the YPLL index. The method by Bustamante et al. was followed to calculate the cause of death, with ponderation of the potential investment, production and consumption of each individual, according to the age of death.


RESULTS
A ranking of cause of death resulted from the application of the YPLL index. At present, in the four states, the group with the greatest potential loss is that between 5 and 14 years of age, and the rate is higher in Baja California than in Sonora. The group of "Perinatal problems as a cause of death" ranked first in three states and in the fourth, Sinaloa, the group of "Homicide and lesions caused intentionally by another person" ranked first.


CONCLUSIONS
This work highlights the importance of the YLPP with economic loss ponderation index to discriminate death causes among states in a region with apparently homogeneous mortality.
Rascón-Pacheco
R A
RA
Unidad de Investigación Epidemiológica y en Servicios de Salud, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Hermosillo, Sonora, México. arascon@son1.telmexnet.mx
Rivera-Icedo
B M
BM
Santillana-Macedo
M A
MA
Romero-Téllez
M B
MB
D017677:Age Distribution; D002423:Cause of Death; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D015993:Life Tables; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology