TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2015//
TI  - Injury-related mortality in South Africa: a retrospective descriptive study of postmortem investigations
JO  - Bulletin of The World Health Organization
A1  - Matzopoulos, Richard
A1  - Prinsloo, Megan
A1  - Pillay-van Wyk, Victoria
A1  - Gwebushe, Nomonde
A1  - Mathews, Shanaaz
A1  - Martin, Lorna J.
A1  - Laubscher, Ria
A1  - Abrahams, Naeemah
A1  - Msemburi, William
A1  - Lombard, Carl
A1  - Bradshaw, Debbie
SP  - 303
EP  - 313
VL  - 93
IS  - 5
N2  - 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.  FINDINGS:  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.  CONCLUSION:  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.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0042-9686
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.14.145771
ID  - ref1
ER  -