title: Hispanic ethnicity and unintentional injury mortality in the elderly.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Unintentional injury is a leading cause of preventable mortality in elderly populations and is most often related to accidental falls and motor vehicle accidents. Hispanic ethnicity has been previously associated with decreased risk of accidental fall death as well as improved outcomes in other health states, the "Hispanic paradox." A timely analysis of national data with consideration for multiple injury types and age could provide insight into this epidemiologic phenomenon and help guide the use of prevention efforts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Search of the Center for Disease Control's WISQARS database was performed to identify the number of fatalities in the U.S. between 2003 and 2006 by age group, gender, Hispanic ethnicity, and injury type. Total U.S. population and group populations for the years examined were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey for each year. Mortality was calculated as fatalities over the total group population for the years examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Independent of gender and age group, elderly Hispanics were at decreased risk of death from accidental fall or as an occupant in a motor vehicle accident, but increased risk of pedestrian fatality compared with white-NH.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The reduced fall and occupant mortality seen in elderly Hispanic populations may come at the cost of increased pedestrian-related mortality. This is consistent with and likely reflects differences in culture, socioeconomic status, and geographic distribution for the U.S. Hispanic population. Effective targeting of injury prevention programs, especially community based, should consider the role of Hispanic ethnicity and its impact on lifestyle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, MD/PhD Program, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida 33101, USA.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Landy
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mintzer
authors.forename: Amanda K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Carl I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Schulman
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology