26 November 2004

Aged at greatest risk of fatal injury

People aged over 70 are at greatest risk of fatal injury according to the results of the latest analysis of deaths due to injury in NSW.

Health Minister Morris Iemma today released the report, NSW Injury Profile: A review of injury deaths 1998-2002 which illustrates trends in fatal injuries.

In 1986 there were 2,533 injury-related deaths in NSW, giving an incidence rate of 48.5 per 100,000 NSW residents, by 2002, that had fallen to 2,357 giving an incidence rate of 34.9 per 100,000 residents.

“Across Australia injuries account for approximately 7,800 deaths annually with around one third of these deaths occurring in NSW,” Mr Iemma said.

“Over 70s represent 27 per cent of all fatal injuries, most frequently as a result of motor vehicle crashes or falls,” Mr Iemma said.

“While there has been a significant decline in deaths by injury, the report identifies areas that require continued monitoring, particularly in the top four categories which account for 70 per cent of all injury deaths which are:

• Suicide;
• Motor vehicle crashes;
• Poisoning; and
• Falls.

The report also found:

• Males were more likely to die as a result of an injury in NSW than females (70 per cent and 30 per cent respectively).
• In children under one year, suffocation was the leading cause of injury death.
• In children aged one to four years, drowning was the leading cause of injury death followed very closely by motor vehicle crashes.
• For people aged five to 24 years, motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of injury death.
• Suicide was the leading cause of injury death for people aged 25 to 74 years.
• For people aged 75 years and over, motor vehicle crashes and falls were the leading causes of injury death.

“Information on the nature of injuries sustained in NSW identifies those individuals and communities most at risk and helps prioritise injury prevention strategies,” Mr Iemma said.

Mr Iemma said there were a number of strategies already in place across NSW to address injury-related admissions including:

• The Falls Prevention and Management Strategy, backed by $8.5 million over four years, to support a range of programs in metropolitan and rural NSW to actively address the main fall risk factors and the main risk group of older Australians.
• Specific statewide programs on suicide prevention for young people, older people and others at high risk with more than $15 million funding each year towards specific programs in Area Health Services to manage suicide risk.
• Joint illicit drug projects across NSW Ambulance Service, Red Cross, and NSW Users and Aids Association to target drug overdose.
• Improved life saving medical procedures and trauma care, random breath testing, speeding blitzes, improved car design and safety features such as air bags are attributed in the report to the decline in the rate of motor vehicle deaths in NSW.

Other major findings by injury type:

Suicide

• Suicide was the leading cause of injury death from 1998 to 2002 and accounted for 30 per cent of all injury-related deaths.
• The suicide death rate significantly decreased from 1997 to 2002 having experienced a rise between 1986 and 1997.
• During 1998 to 2002 there were 3,822 suicide deaths in NSW.
• Males accounted for 80 per cent of all suicide-related deaths with individuals aged 30 to 39 years experiencing the highest rates of suicide-related death.

Motor vehicle crashes

• Motor vehicle crashes were the second leading cause of injury death from 1998 to 2002 and accounted for 22 per cent of all injury-related deaths.
• There has been a significant decline in the rate of motor vehicle transport deaths in NSW from 1986 to 2002.
• During 1998 to 2002 there were 2,765 motor vehicle transport crashes with males accounting for 72 per cent of all motor vehicle-related deaths.
• Individuals aged 15 to 24 years and 80 years and over had the highest rates of motor vehicle-related deaths.
• The most common cause of vehicle-related deaths for children aged five to nine years was as pedestrians in traffic.

Poisoning (drug misuse resulting in unintentional overdose)

• Poisoning was the third leading cause of injury death accounting for nine per cent of all injury-related deaths.
• There has been an increase from 1997 to 1999 in the rate of poisoning deaths.
• During 1998 to 2002 there were 1,118 unintentional poisoning-related deaths.
• Narcotics, hallucinogens and other pharmaceuticals were the common types of substances that lead to a poisoning death.

Falls

• Fall-related injuries were the fourth leading cause of injury death accounting for nine per cent of all injury-related deaths.
• During 1998 to 2002 there were 1,093 fall-related deaths with males accounting for 59 per cent of all fall-related deaths.
• Individuals aged 70 years and over had the highest rates of fall-related deaths, accounting for 66 per cent of all fall deaths during 1998 and 2002.

Related links:

For a range of health information, go online to www.health.nsw.gov.au