title: Rates and correlates of undetermined deaths among African Americans: results from the National Violent Death Reporting System.
abstract: Little is known about the factors associated with undetermined death classifications among African Americans. In this study, the rates of undetermined deaths were assessed, the prevalence of missing information was estimated, and whether the circumstances preceding death differ by race were examined. Data were derived from the 2005-2008 National Violent Death Reporting System. African Americans had higher prevalence of missing information than Whites. African Americans classified as undetermined deaths were more likely to be older, women, never married/single, to have had a blood alcohol content at or above the legal limit, and to have had a substance abuse problem. The results suggest that racial differences in the preponderance and the type of evidence surrounding the death may affect death classification.
authors.affiliation: Portland State University, Portland, OR 97207-0751, USA. huguetn@pdx.edu
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Huguet
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Bentson H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: McFarland
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D002423:Cause of Death; D016208:Databases, Factual; D003644:Death Certificates; D004282:Documentation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D014481:United States; D014754:Violence / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data