ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To quantify and characterize deaths from injuries and violence in the English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean. DESIGN AND METHODS: The most recent year of available national cause-of-death data for each country for the period 2007-2013 was selected from the CARPHA regional mortality database. An analysis of regional causes of deaths by age and gender was completed. The crude injury death rate for each country, by gender, was also calculated followed by a descriptive analysis of the type of injuries contributing to death in each country. RESULTS: In the English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean, annual deaths from injuries accounted for 11.5% of all deaths and four times as many men as women died from an injury. Among persons aged 15-44 years, 116,931 person-years of life was lost due to injuries. More males aged 1-44 years died from violence (one in four) than from any other cause. The injury death rate and the related causes varied substantially across countries within the region. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the current mortality profile of injury and violence in the region is critical to the development of effective and efficient interventions to address this problem. Variability of these profiles across the region suggests that more research is needed to inform development of age, gender and country-specific programmes.
Subject(s)
Violence , Domestic Violence , Violence Against Women , Sex Offenses , Caribbean Region , Mortality , MortalityABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To describe mortality trends and potential years of life lost (PYLL) due to leading causes of death in 21 Caribbean countries during 1985, 1990, 1995 and 2000. METHODS: Mortality data for 1985, 1990, 1995 and 2000 were analyzed to identify regional mortality trends using crude, age-specific and age-adjusted death rates and potential years of life lost. The variables used were age, gender and underlying cause of death. RESULTS: During 1985-2000, there was an overall 5% decrease in age-adjusted mortality rates and male mortality exceeded female mortality. Heart disease was the leading cause of death, with cancers, cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and hypertensive disease also among the top five causes in most years. Prostate cancer and cancer of the uterus and breast were the leading causes of death due to cancers. HIV disease (AIDS) featured in the ten leading causes of death for the first time in 1995 and was the 5th leading cause in 2000. CONCLUSION: During the period 1985-2000, countries experienced an increase in mortality due to non-communicable diseases, AIDS and assaults (homicides); the latter two causes were most common among the 15-44 year age group. In 2000, AIDS, heart disease and assault (homicide) were the largest contributors to PYLL.
OBJETIVO: Describir las tendencias de la mortalidad y los años potenciales de vida perdidos (APVP) debido a las causas principales de muerte en 21 países caribeños durante 1985, 1990, 1995 y 2000. MÉTODOS: Se analizaron los datos de la mortalidad de los años 1985, 1990, 1995 y 2000, a fin de identificar tendencias de mortalidad regionales, usando tasas crudas de mortalidad ajustadas por edad y específicas por edad, así como años potenciales de vida perdidos. Las variables usadas fueron la edad, el género y la causa subyacente de muerte. RESULTADOS: Durante 1985-2000, hubo una disminución general de un 5% en las tasas de mortalidad ajustadas por edad y la mortalidad masculina excedió la mortalidad femenina. Las enfermedades cardíacas fueron la causa principal de muerte, hallándose junto a distintas formas de cáncer, las enfermedades cerebrovasculares, la diabetes mellitus, y la hipertensión, entre las cinco causas principales de muerte en la mayor parte de los años. El cáncer de próstata y el cáncer de útero y mamas, se encontraban entre las principales causas de muerte. El VIH (SIDA) se sumaba a la lista de las diez causas principales de muerte, por primera vez, en 1990, y fue la 5ta causa principal en el año 2000. CONLCUSIÓN: En el 2000, el SIDA, las enfermedades cardíacas y los asaltos (homicidios) fueron los principales contribuyentes de APVP.