Injury accounts for close to 80 percent of adolescent deaths. Compared with younger children, adolescents ages 15–19 have much higher mortality rates overall and from injuries. Adolescents are much more likely to die from injuries sustained from motor vehicle traffic accidents and firearms.90 The leading causes of nonfatal injuries in adolescents also differ from younger children. For example, the leading cause of adolescent injury is being struck, whereas for younger children, the leading cause of injury is falls. In addition, non-fatal injuries in adolescents more often result from violence, sports-related activities, or motor vehicle traffic crashes. For each fatal injury among adolescents, there are 11 hospitalizations and nearly 300 emergency department visits for injuries.89
Indicator PHY7.A: Emergency department visit rates for adolescents ages 15–19 by leading causes of injury visits, 2003–2004
NOTE: Visits are the initial visit to the emergency department for the injury. The cause of injury "struck" denotes being struck against or by an object or person, "cut or pierced" denotes injuries caused by cutting and piercing instruments or objects, "overexertion" denotes excessive physical exercise or strenuous movements in recreational or other activities, and "natural or environmental" denotes injuries caused by natural or environmental factors.
SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.
Indicator PHY7.B: Death rates among adolescents ages 15–19 by all causes, all injury causes, and selected mechanisms of injury, 1980–2004
SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System.
PHY7A HTML Table, PHY7B HTML Table
PHY7A Excel Table, PHY7B Excel Table
89 National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System, National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (2006) unpublished tabulations.
90 Minino, A.M., Anderson R.N., Fingerhut L.A. et al, (2005). Deaths: Injuries. 2002. National Vital Statistics Reports, 54 (10). Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.
91 National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System, National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (2003–2004) unpublished tabulations.