Dudley Strategy for Tackling Health Inequalities 2010-15

PercentagePatterns of mortality by mechanism, within intentDuring 2004-2008 the most common mechanisms for unintentional injuries amongmales were falls and fracture and transport (32% and 30% respectively). Thepattern of mechanisms for mortality from unintentional accidents was very similar. In1994-1998 with the exception of 4% of deaths from fire/flame which was absent in2004-2008. For females the majority of unintentional deaths in 2004-2008 and 1994-1998 were due to falls and fractures (46% and 62% respectively), followed byunspecified (42% and 5%). In 2004-2008, for suicides, suffocation was the mostcommon mechanism for males (67%), compared with poisoning (49%) in 1994-1998.In 1994-1998, 63% of female suicides were due to poisoning with the remainder splitbetween suffocation, cut/pierce, firearm and drowning. Whereas in 2004-2008, themain mechanism, was suffocation (71%) with only 14% due to poisoning.Deaths from undetermined intent had a wider range of mechanisms associated withit, but the major shift has been an increase in the proportion of deaths fromsuffocation and a decrease in the proportion of deaths from poisoning in males.Despite this shift these remain the major mechanisms. For females poisoningremains the main mechanism, but suffocation is now the second mechanism. Therehas been a reduction in the percentage of drownings in females Figure 8a-b.Figure 8a100%90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%0%Mechanism of injury by intent for females, Dudley 2004-2008MechanismOsteoporosisHomicide and probable homicideSuicideMental and behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance useUndeterminedUnintentional162