[Trends of adolescent injury and poisoning mortality]

OBJECTIVE: To describe the external causes of death and mortality trends due to injuries and poisoning in Mexican adolescents, from 1979 to 1997. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a descriptive study of deaths occurring in Mexico from 1979 to 1997. Data were abstracted, coded, and entered in electronic format, by Instituto Nacional de Estadistica, Geografia e Informatica (National Institute of Statistics, Geography, and Informatics, INEGI). Data were analyzed during the second half of year 2000, in Jalisco, at the Research Unit of Epidemiologic and Adolescent Health Services, of Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (Mexican Institute of Social Security, IMSS). RESULTS: Injuries and poisoning ranked first as causes of adolescent mortality in Mexico (rate = 13.35/100,000), decreasing 41.4% from 1979 to 1997. However, an increasing trend was observed for homicides and suicides (9.5% y 104.0%, respectively). The most frequent mechanisms of injury were: motor vehicles, firearms, intoxications, suffocation, and drowning. CONCLUSIONS: Injuries and poisoning in developing countries show differences from those reported in developed countries. Further studies should be conducted to find preventive measures consistent with the sociocultural and environmental determinants of injuries and poisoning