Productivity losses from injury in China.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the productivity losses and costs of injury and disease in China using an improved approach.


METHODS
Potentially productive years of life lost (PPYLL) were calculated for injury and four major disease groups (respiratory, cardiovascular, infectious, neoplastic).


METHODS
The mortality data are from the 1999 National Health Statistics Report and the morbidity data from the 1998 Second National Health Service Survey Report.


RESULTS
Injuries caused an annual PPYLL of 12.6 million years, more than for any disease group. The estimated annual economic cost of injury is equivalent to US dollars 12.5 billion, almost four times the total public health services budget of China. Motor vehicle fatalities accounted for 25% of the total PPYLL from all injury deaths.


CONCLUSIONS
Injury control and prevention programs merit priority to reflect the social and economic burden of injury in China.
Zhou
Y
Y
Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Baker
T D
TD
Rao
K
K
Li
G
G
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D017281:Cost of Illness; D004526:Efficiency; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015993:Life Tables; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012423:Rural Health; D014504:Urban Health; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control