Increased Rates of Death from Unintentional Injury among Non-Hispanic White, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Non-Metropolitan Communities

Overview of Key Findings Living in a nonmetropolitan area is associated with an increase in the age-adjusted death rate from unintentional injuries, from 46.2 in metropolitan areas to 59.2 in nonmetropolitan areas in 2018, with all races/ethnicity groups affected except for non-Hispanic Black. The ratio of unintentional injury deaths in nonmetropolitan areas, compared to metropolitan areas, was 1.28 overall, ranging from 1.05 to 1.56 depending on race and ethnicity. American Indians and Alaska Natives have the highest rate of living in nonmetropolitan areas (39.5%), and this group has the greatest increase in death from unintentional injury associated with living in a nonmetropolitan setting (from 67.7 to 105.3 per 100,000). There is no association between urbanization and race/ethnicity on the rate of emergency department visits for nonfatal unintentional injuries