DuPage County residents who die between the ages of 1 and 44 are more likely to be done in by injuries than by disease, according to a survey released by the DuPage County Health Department.
The study, prepared by Health Department chief planner James Hagen, focused on injury-related causes of death in DuPage between 1990 and 1995.
Unintentional injury was the No. 1 cause of the death for the age group, followed in order by violent intentional death, violent injury, heart disease and cancer,” Hagen said.
Among residents aged 45 to 64 years, injuries fell to fifth place as the cause of death, according to the survey.
Motor vehicle crashes remain the chief cause of all injury deaths in DuPage County, according to the study, with suicide ranked as the second most common cause of injury-related death. Between 1990 and 1994, suicides ranked No. 1 as the injury-related cause of death among county residents aged 25 to 64.
Statistics for 1995, the most recent year studied, indicated that more motor vehicle crashes were reported among drivers aged 20-29 than any other age group. Males accounted for nearly 60 percent of reported crashes, according to the survey.
Hagen said he hopes the study will be used to develop programs that reduce preventable injuries and violence.
The study, “Assessing the Problems of Injuries and Violence,” was released in conjunction with National Public Health Week April 6-12. It is available for $5. To order, call the Health Department at (630) 682-7979, ext. 7660.