Citation

Rockett IRH, Smith GCS. Public Health 1989; 103(5): 353-361.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1989, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

2798748

Abstract

With reference to comparative data for New Zealand and the United Kingdom, the contribution of injuries to the Australian mortality mosaic is examined against the background of the three leading causes of death; namely, heart disease, cancer and cerebrovascular disease. The data are primarily adapted from 1980 age-, sex- and cause-specific mortality tabulations published by the World Health Organization. A core concept is premature mortality, which is operationalised as an age-adjusted rate of potential years of life lost between ages one and 65. Injuries universally rank first as a cause of male premature mortality, and are second to cancer in the female case. The 15-24 age group is the predominant source of these injury losses. Irrespective of sex, Australian and New Zealand premature injury mortality rates are similar, and are almost double the British rates. Three-quarters of the rate variation between Australia and the United Kingdom are accounted for by two causes of death; motor vehicle traffic accidents and suicide.

Language: en