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The American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) population experiences substantial health disparities, but the extent is not well characterized especially among children and adolescents. In data from the National Center for Health Statistics, AI/AN persons are often not recognized as such on death certificates. As AI/AN deaths are undercounted, racial/ethnic comparisons showing greater death rates among AI/AN are "Estimates of Minimal Difference" (EMD): the difference in rates between groups that is an estimate of the minimal difference. It is the minimal difference because that difference would only be increased by more accurate race/ethnic classification on certificates as more AI/AN individuals would be counted as such. We compare rates of non-Hispanic AI/AN leading causes of death to non-Hispanic White (n-HW) and non-Hispanic Black (n-HB) children and adolescents using annual reports for "Deaths: Leading Causes" from 2015 to 2017 from the National Vital Statistics System. Among AI/AN 1-19 year-olds, suicide deaths are significantly higher (p<0.00001) than among n-HB (OR=4.34; CI=3.68-5.1) and n-HWs (p<0.007; OR=1.23; CI=1.05-1.42); deaths from accidents are significantly higher (p<0.001) than among n-HB (OR=1.71; CI=1.49-1.93); and deaths due to assault (homicide) are significantly higher (p<0.00002) than among n-HWs (OR=1.64; CI=1.3-2.05). The appearance of suicide as a leading cause of death among AI/AN children and adolescents occurs in the 10-14-year age group and is significantly more common in the 15-19-year age group compared to both n-HB (p<0.00001; OR=5.35; CI=4.40-6.48) and n-HW (p=0.00064; OR=1.36; CI=1.14-1.63). Even without adjusting for undercounting, EMDs show that there are significant health disparities for preventable deaths of AI/AN children and adolescents to be addressed by public health policy., (© 2023. W. Montague Cobb-NMA Health Institute.)

Unlabelled: Utilizing Add Health longitudinal data, we compared 21 male suicide casualties to 10,101 living respondents identifying suicide correlates.Method: 21 suicide decedents completed surveys in 1994/1995 (Wave 1) and 11 completed at Wave 3; responses were compared with Chi-square and oneway ANOVA tests.Results: Suicide decedents were prone to higher delinquency and fighting at Wave 1, but not at Wave 3. At Wave 1 suicide decedents remained undistinguished from living respondents in depression, self-esteem, and drug uses. Yet, after Wave 3, the 11 respondents dying by suicide showed significantly higher depression, drug use and lower self-esteem.Conclusion: Delinquency trends can readily understood, but more complex causes are needed to account for unexpected changes in self-esteem, depression and drug uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the trends in homicide among individuals aged 10-24 from 1981 to 2010 based on the National Vital Statistics System data in the U.S. Variation was observed on the overall homicide rate 10-24 years old individuals during the said period, but from 1985 to 1993, data revealed a sharp increase in cases. Homicide is the leading cause of death among American adolescents and young adults.

The article discusses research into U.S. teenage death due to automobile accidents, focusing on the reasons why teenagers have a high death rate compared to other drivers and offering a classroom activity that may teach teenagers about automobile mechanics and safety. Topics include the teaching of momentum, a student design and engineering project which teaches physics principles, as well as the teaching of car design and safety.

The article presents information on parents' involvement in safe driving education of their teenage children in the rural areas of the U.S. Most efforts in this regard focus on how to teach teenagers to drive or awareness of teenage drinking and driving. Parents' role as gatekeepers is not satisfactory, despite national support for increased parental involvement. Western rural states have teenage crash rates higher than the national average because of the greater percentage of miles traveled. Programmed efforts directed towards parental management of teenage driving could be integrated into education of drivers to increase parental involvement in young driver safety. This would include determining the conditions under which teenagers can drive, and when and where they should drive.

Objectives: This study was conducted to assess tile usefulness of a screening system for cardiovascular disease in Kagoshima, Japan, and to compare its cost-effectiveness with that of a similar system reported in the United States. Background: Preparticipation screening of young athletes has been implemented in many countries to prevent sudden death, but sudden death in young nonathletes remains a problem. In Japan, both athletes anti nonathletes have been screened for the presence or absence of cardiovascular diseases for more than 20 yr. Methods From 1989 to 1997, all seventh graders in schools in Kagoshima, Japan, were screened for cardiovascular disease using a questionnaire and electrocardiogram before physical examination. They were screened again in the same way 3 yr later. One subject newly diagnosed with cardiovascular disease and recommended to limit athletic participation was defined as "high-risk." Situations leading to cases of sudden death were verified with a report from the school in question. Results: Of the initial study population, 99% participated in the program every year. A total of 37,807 subjects, including nine high-risk subjects, were evaluated consecutively for 6 yr. Of these nine subjects, six, including three patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, were nonathletes. Three sudden deaths occurred during the study period; one student was from the high-risk group. The cost of this screening system was lower than that reported in the United States, Conclusions: Population-based screening for heart disease in this age range is limited by various factors. To analyze the mechanisms of sudden death in adolescents, we, therefore, are in need of a nationwide registry that includes autopsies for all deadly events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports results of a study based on a nationally representative sample of U.S. youth (N = 11,549) that asked two questions: (1) How does family structure affect the likelihood of adolescent death beyond that of race/ethnicity, sex, socioeconomic status, personal behavior, and other structural factors and (2) under what conditions might appeals for social justice be warranted for relative mortality statuses and for absolute gains in mortality? The study found that marital instability increases the likelihood of dying when controlling for a variety of other factors including class, race/ethnicity, sex, and unemployment rate in area of residence. The author argues that this finding lends support to social justice arguments to redistribute resources in such a way as to ensure the likelihood of absolute gains in mortality. The study also found, however, that race/ethnicity/sex also accounted for the likelihood of dying independently of family structure when controlling for socioeconomic and other factors. The author argues that this finding lends support to social justice arguments to redistribute resources on the basis of relative mortality statuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determines the risk of motor vehicle occupant deaths per unit of travel for Hispanic, non-Hispanic black, and non-Hispanic white children and teenagers in the United States. Households with children aged five and 19 years by race and ethnicity; Death rates in the US in 1989 to 1993 for injuries sustained by motor vehicle occupants per 100,000 people.

Abstract: Baseline levels of mortality in the United States in the absence of influenza epidemics were estimated using cyclical regression models applied to national vital statistics from October 1972 to May 1985. Models were developed by age and by region. Results from 1983 to 1985 are preliminary. More mortality than predicted by the theoretical baseline occurred during nine influenza seasons. Epidemics with high morbidity in children and young adults occurred in 1976/77 and 1978/79. Regional differences in the impact of influenza occurred occasionally. Total influenza-associated excess mortality in six epidemics from the winters of 1972/73 to 1980/81 was about 200,000. About 80-90 per ¢ of excess mortality occurred in persons over 64 years old. (Am J Public Health 1987: 77:712-716.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides an analysis of mortality from blunt hepatic injury, in order to define outcome in the adolescent age group in relation to that recorded for children and adults. How children for the experiment were selected; Conclusion that young children have the lowest proportion of severe injury and overall morality in blunt hepatic injuries; Recommendation for the best cure for these injuries in adolescents.

Comments on tobacco use as a preventable cause of death in America. Description of the development of questions related to tobacco use behaviors for the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) questionnaire. Short-term health outcomes of tobacco use associated with pregnancy and infant health; National health objectives; More.

Presents the position of the American Academy of Pediatrics on the role of firearms in childhood and adolescent morbidity and mortality in the United States. Statistics on firearm death and injury in adolescents; Details on risk factors; Recommendations on firearms and adolescents.

Discusses the epidemiology of injury for youths aged ten through 18 years in the United States. Role of injury as a major source of morbidity and mortality among adolescents; Risk factors for injury; Finding that the largest proportion of injury death among adolescents is associated with motor vehicles; Increase in suicide among adolescents; Death rate for black U.S. males due to homicide.

Reports on the pattern of homicide rates among males aged 15 to 19 years old in the United States from 1963 to 1991. Statistics; Annual crude homicide rates; Age-specific arrest rates for murder and nonnegligent manslaughter; Factors that contributed to the increased homicide rates; Strategies to prevent youth violence.

Reports on homicides of adolescents in Fulton County, Georgia from 1988 to 1992. Sources of data; Statistics; Demographic information about the decedents; Geographic location of the crimes; Focus of prevention and intervention programs; Limitations of the study.

Focuses on the discontinuity experienced by some adolescents and their families which may contribute to adolescent morbidity. Identification of the factors that reflect the experience of adolescents to discontinuity; Statistical information on the social conditions of adolescents in the United States.

Presents an abstract of the study 'Serious Injuries and Deaths of Adolescent Girls Resulting From Interpersonal Violence: Characteristics and Trends From the United States, 1989-1998,' by Harry Moskowitz, John L. Griffith et al., from a 2001 issue of the 'Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.'