title: Impact of changes in specificity of data recording on cause-specific injury mortality in the United States, 1999-2010.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We aimed to examine changes in the specificity of data recording and assess the impact on cause-specific injury mortality during 1999-2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  A longitudinal study was designed to analyze injury mortality data of 1999-2010. Mortality rates for unspecified injury and for cause-specific injury were obtained using CDC's Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS™). The proportion of unspecified injury was used to measure the specificity of injury data recording. We used the proportionate method to adjust data specificity and compared changes in cause-specific mortality before and after adjustment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 1999 and 2010, the age-adjusted mortality from unspecified injuries decreased from 3.4 to 2.5 per 100,000 persons for all ages. The proportion of unspecified unintentional injury decreased from 18.9% to 10.9% for the elderly ages 65+. The proportion of unspecified homicide significantly increased for all age groups except ages 25-44 years. After adjustment, increases in age-adjusted mortality rates from falls, poisoning and drowning were less (77 vs. 61%, 66 vs. 51%, and 9 vs. 0%) and decreases in injuries from motor vehicle crashes, suffocation, fire/burn, and natural/environmental disasters were greater (-30 vs. -37%, -17 vs. -24%, -23 vs. -24%, and -46 vs. -51%), respectively. The adjustment resulted in reversed changes in homicide by firearm (-1 vs. 5%) and cut/pierce (-5 vs. 2%), greater increases in homicide by suffocation (9 vs. 16%) for ages 45-64 years, and smaller decreases in all other age- and cause-specific homicide groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  During 1999-2010, the specificity of data recording changed significantly for homicide rates and elderly unintentional injury mortality and the changes altered trends in cause-specific injury mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China. huguoqing009@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Guoqing
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Keita
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mamady
mesh_terms: D000059:Accidents / Q000401:mortality*; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality; D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002423:Cause of Death; D004332:Drowning / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006708:Homicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000401:mortality*; D055815:Young Adult