Foreword
I am pleased to present the Atlas of Injury
Mortality among American Indian and Alaska Native Children and Youth,
1989–1998. Injury is the leading killer of American children and youth
from ages 1-19 years. Each year in the United States, more than 17,000
children and youth die from preventable injuries and violence. About 70%
of these deaths are caused by unintentional injury and 28% are violence
related.
The burden of injury falls disproportionately on minority populations,
compared to the U.S. as a whole, and this is particularly true for
American Indians and Alaska Natives (also referred to as Native
Americans). The Atlas examines the eight leading causes of injury death
among Native American children and youth and the trends in racial
disparity among Native Americans, blacks, and whites. For most causes,
Native American children and youth had the highest injury mortality rates
compared with rates for white children and youth. Although it is
encouraging that injury mortality rates among Native Americans have
declined for most causes (i.e., motor vehicle crashes, pedestrian related,
drowning, fire, and suffocation), other causes have either increased
(homicide, firearms) or remained unchanged (suicide) over the 10-year
study period.
The Atlas should prove to be a valuable resource for tribes, Indian Health
Service (IHS) public health staff, and decision makers interested in the
health of Native American children and youth. The maps visually display
the extent of the injury problem by region and offer a comparison with IHS
and national rates.
The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), the “Injury
Center,” and IHS have had a long-term partnership in an effort to reduce
injuries among Native Americans. Hopefully, this information will
encourage local, regional, and national decision makers to form new
partnerships or enhance existing ones to further reduce the burden of
injury among Native American people.
Christine M. Branche, PhD
Director, Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
