Death in 12-24-Year-Old Youth in Nova Scotia: High Risk of Preventable Deaths for Males, Socially Deprived and Rural Populations-A Report from the NSYOUTHS Program.
Deaths from avoidable causes represent the largest component of deaths in young people in Canada and have a considerable social cost in relation to years of potential life lost. We evaluated social and demographic determinants of deaths in youth aged 12-24 years in Nova Scotia for the period 1995-2004. Youth most at risk of death were males, the more socially deprived, and those living in rural areas. There was a five-fold increase in suicides and a three-fold increase in injury deaths in males compared to females and a substantial component of these deaths were amongst males living in rural areas. Initiatives and prevention policies should be targeted towards specific at-risk groups, particularly males living in rural areas. Published vital statistics hide these important trends and thus provide only limited evidence with which to base-prevention initiatives.
Dummer
T J B
TJ
Population Cancer Research Program, Dalhousie University, 1494 Carlton Street, Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 3B7.
Bellemare
S
S
Macdonald
N
N
Parker
L
L
Inj Prev. 2006 Jun;12(3):155-60
16751444
CMAJ. 2008 Jan 29;178(3):282-5
18227445