Περίληψη:
Aims: The wide variation of unintentional ( accidental) injury mortality
rates in the European Union (EU) member states suggests that there is
high potential for prevention. This paper attempts to quantify the
potential for saving lives in this part of the world if all 25 member
states were to learn from the experience of countries with advanced
injury prevention records. Methods: Unintentional injury mortality data
( latest three available years), including denominator population
estimates, were obtained from the World Health Organization ( WHO)
mortality database for all 22 EU countries with a population of more
than one million. Annual average age-adjusted injury mortality rates
were used to derive the potential for saving of lives under two
scenarios: ( a) if all EU member states matched the country with the
lowest unintentional rate for all causes of injury combined; (b) if the
benchmark was alternatively the country with the lowest unintentional
injury cause-specific rate. Separate calculations were performed for
children ( 0 - 14), adults ( 15 - 64), and the elderly ( 65 and over).
Results: Under the first scenario, over 73,000 lives could have been
saved in the EU 25 in a single year, notably nearly half (47.4%) fewer
unintentional injury deaths could be observed in children, over half in
adult (54%), and two-fifths (38%) in the elderly. Under the second,
more optimistic, scenario 59% of childhood and adult and 75% of
unintentional injury deaths among the elderly would have been avoided.
Conclusions: A substantial proportion of lives lost due to unintentional
injury might be saved if all countries were to achieve the lowest
unintentional injury mortality rates in the EU. The above calculations
are based on a simple theoretical model but there is increasing evidence
on the array of existing effective preventive interventions and improved
trauma care calls for public health action in each member state that
could in practice halt, to the extent possible, the unintentional injury
epidemic.
Συγγραφείς:
Petridou, Eleni Th.
Kyllekidis, Spyros
Jeffrey, Susanne and
Chishti, Parveen
Dessypris, Nick
Stone, David H.
