title: Firearm-related mortality, Louisiana 1999-2010.
abstract: This report is a purely descriptive study of firearm-related deaths occurring in Louisiana from 1999 to 2010. Mortality data were collected from death certificates from this 12-year period to describe firearm fatalities by year, race, gender, age group, and manner of death (accident, homicide, suicide). Louisiana data were also compared to national data. Race, sex, and age were important factors influencing mortality rates and the death manner. Rates were higher in males than in females and higher in African-Americans than in Whites. The highest rates were observed for homicides among African-American males. The ratio of Louisiana age/race-adjusted firearm mortality rates over the US rates were 1.8. Both Louisiana and the US mortality rates remained fairly constant over the 12-year period. Parish level data showed a wide variation in firearm mortality rates with some urban and some rural parishes having the highest rates. Data obtained from death certificates have limitations due to the limited number of variables available.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Straif-Bourgeois
authors.affiliation: Infectious Disease Epidemiology Section, Office of Public Health, Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals.
authors.forename: Raoult
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ratard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005389:Firearms; D006708:Homicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008145:Louisiana / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015996:Survival Rate; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality*; D055815:Young Adult