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Under-five mortality from unintentional suffocation in China, 2006-2016.
Lijun Wang1,2, Yuyan Gao3,2, Peng Yin1
1National Center for Chronic and Non-communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.
Journal of Global Health
|February 19, 2019
Summary
Unintentional suffocation remains a significant threat to children under five in China, with rates stable but high over a decade. Infants, boys, and rural children face the greatest risks, necessitating targeted prevention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric mortality trends
- Injury prevention research
- Public health surveillance
Background:
- Examined trends in under-five unintentional suffocation mortality in China (2006-2016).
- Analyzed mortality differences by age, sex, location (rural vs. urban), and injury mechanism.
- Utilized nationally representative data for comprehensive analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the trends and disparities in unintentional suffocation deaths among Chinese children under five.
- To identify specific risk factors and common causes of suffocation within this demographic.
- To inform potential interventions for reducing pediatric suffocation rates.
Main Methods:
- Employed data from China's disease surveillance points (DSPs) system (161 sites).
- Classified unintentional suffocation deaths using ICD-10 codes (W75-W84).
- Applied negative binomial regression to assess mortality changes from 2006 to 2016.
Main Results:
- Observed a steady, albeit fluctuating, trend in age-adjusted unintentional suffocation mortality.
- Infants, boys, and rural children exhibited higher mortality rates compared to older children, girls, and urban children, respectively.
- Strangulation/suffocation in bed was the leading cause for infants (66%); inhalation suffocation predominated in children aged 1-4 years (55%).
Conclusions:
- Unintentional suffocation mortality rates in under-five children in China remained high and relatively stable over the decade.
- Significant disparities exist across age groups, sex, and geographic locations.
- Urgent implementation of targeted interventions is needed to reduce pediatric suffocation rates.
