title: Injury-related mortality in South Africa: a retrospective descriptive study of postmortem investigations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate injury-related mortality in South Africa using a nationally representative sample and compare the results with previous estimates.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective descriptive study of medico-legal postmortem investigation data from mortuaries using a multistage random sample, stratified by urban and non-urban areas and mortuary size. We calculated age-specific and age-standardized mortality rates for external causes of death.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Postmortem reports revealed 52,493 injury-related deaths in 2009 (95% confidence interval, CI: 46,930-58,057). Almost half (25,499) were intentionally inflicted. Age-standardized mortality rates per 100,000 population were as follows: all injuries: 109.0 (95% CI: 97.1-121.0); homicide 38.4 (95% CI: 33.8-43.0; suicide 13.4 (95% CI: 11.6-15.2) and road-traffic injury 36.1 (95% CI: 30.9-41.3). Using postmortem reports, we found more than three times as many deaths from homicide and road-traffic injury than had been recorded by vital registration for this period. The homicide rate was similar to the estimate for South Africa from a global analysis, but road-traffic and suicide rates were almost fourfold higher.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first nationally representative sample of injury-related mortality in South Africa. It provides more accurate estimates and cause-specific profiles that are not available from other sources.
authors.affiliation: Burden of Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, PO Box 19070, Tygerberg, 7505, Cape Town, South Africa .
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Matzopoulos
authors.affiliation: Burden of Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, PO Box 19070, Tygerberg, 7505, Cape Town, South Africa .
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prinsloo
authors.affiliation: Burden of Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, PO Box 19070, Tygerberg, 7505, Cape Town, South Africa .
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pillay-van Wyk
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa .
authors.forename: Nomonde
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gwebushe
authors.affiliation: Gender and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa .
authors.forename: Shanaaz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mathews
authors.affiliation: Division of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa .
authors.forename: Lorna J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa .
authors.forename: Ria
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Laubscher
authors.affiliation: Gender and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa .
authors.forename: Naeemah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abrahams
authors.affiliation: Burden of Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, PO Box 19070, Tygerberg, 7505, Cape Town, South Africa .
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Msemburi
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa .
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lombard
authors.affiliation: Burden of Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, PO Box 19070, Tygerberg, 7505, Cape Town, South Africa .
authors.forename: Debbie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bradshaw
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy; D002423:Cause of Death; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006708:Homicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012424:Rural Population; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014505:Urban Population; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000401:mortality*; D055815:Young Adult