[Mortality by external causes among residents of Barcelona (1983-1987)]

Mortality due to external causes (EC) is an increasing problem among young people in Spain, with little epidemiologic knowledge available at the small-area level in urban settings. The objective of the present study is the assessment of the magnitude and distribution of EC-related mortality among residents in Barcelona during the 1983-1987 time period. The main EC-related deaths were traffic injuries (9.3 deaths per 100,000), suicides (7.2 deaths per 100,000), and falls (6.9 deaths per 100,000). EC have been the main cause of death up to 35 years of age, contributing to 19% of the total number of years of potential life lost. Traffic-related deaths occurred mainly in the 15-24 age group for vehicle occupants (11.7 deaths per 100,000), while deaths among pedestrians occurred primarily among people older than 75 years (16.4 deaths per 100,000). The largest share of deaths due to suicide also occurred in this same group (19.6 deaths per 100,000), followed by people 25-34 years old. Expectedly, the higher death rates due to falls occurred among elderly people, older than 75 years of age (71.8 deaths per 100,000). These results indicate that patterns of mortality due to external causes in Barcelona are rather similar to those in European countries, suggesting that the strategies to achieve the prevention and control of such deaths among Barcelona residents should presumably be close to those presently being implemented in those countries.