Adolescent mortality in Lebanon (2017-2022): Trends, causes, and policy implications.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Demography

Background:

• Adolescents and young adults (10-24 years) are at high risk for preventable mortality.
• Limited national-level mortality data exists for this demographic in Lebanon.
• Understanding cause-specific mortality patterns is crucial for public health planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze sex-, age-, and region-specific mortality patterns in Lebanese youth (10-24 years) from 2017-2022.
• To assess temporal trends in cause-specific mortality for this age group.
• To identify key drivers of mortality for targeted intervention development.

Main Methods:

• Nationwide population-level analysis of mortality data from the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health (MoPH).
• Causes of death coded using ICD-10 and grouped into 12 categories.
• Age-Standardized Mortality Rates (ASMR) calculated using WHO standard population; Poisson regression used for temporal trend analysis.

Main Results:

• A total of 2776 deaths were recorded, with an overall ASMR of 185.2 per 100,000.
• External causes (64.8/100,000) were the leading cause, followed by circulatory diseases and neoplasms.
• Male mortality (243.1/100,000) was significantly higher than female mortality (114.7/100,000), particularly for external causes (RR=3.80).
• Regional disparities observed, with highest external deaths in North Lebanon and Bekaa, and circulatory deaths in Bekaa.

Conclusions:

• Preventable external and circulatory causes are primary drivers of mortality in Lebanese youth.
• Pronounced male excess and significant regional disparities in mortality patterns were identified.
• Findings support the need for evidence-informed interventions, including injury prevention and cardiovascular strategies, tailored to high-risk groups and regions.