title: Injury mortality rates in Native and non-Native children: a population-based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine injury mortality rates in Native and non-Native children in the province of Alberta, Canada, over a 10-year period, temporal trends in injury mortality rates (Native vs. non-Native), as well as relative risks of injury mortality (Native vs. non-Native) by injury mechanism and intent, were calculated.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational, population-based study design was used. Mortality data were obtained from provincial vital statistics, with injury deaths identified using external injury codes (E-codes). The relative risk (RR) of injury mortality (Native vs. non-Native) along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Stratified analyses and Poisson regression modeling were used to calculate adjusted relative risk.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Injury mortality rates declined over the study period, with no difference in the rate of decline between Native and non-Native children. The adjusted relative risk for all-cause injury death (Native vs. non-Native) was 4.6 (95% CI 4.1 to 5.2). The adjusted relative risks (Native vs. non-Native) by injury intent categories were: unintentional injuries, 4.0 (95% CI 3.5 to 4.6); suicide, 6.6 (95% CI 5.2 to 8.5); and homicide, 5.1 (95% CI 3.0 to 8.5). Injury mortality rates were consistently higher for Native children across all injury mechanism categories. The largest relative risks (Native vs. non-Native) were pedestrian injury (RR = 17.0), accidental poisoning (RR = 15.4), homicide by piercing objects (RR = 15.4), and suicide by hanging (RR = 13.5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The burden of injury mortality is significantly greater in Native children compared with non-Native children. Therefore, injury prevention strategies that target both intentional and unintentional injuries are needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. rharrop@shaw.ca
authors.forename: A Robertson
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Harrop
authors.forename: Rollin F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Brant
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Ghali
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Macarthur
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014798:Vital Statistics; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality*