Injuries Among Inner-city Minority Women: a Population-based Longitudinal Study

Active emergency department-based surveillance was conducted to determine the incidence of fatal and nonfatal injuries in an urban, female African American population from 1987 through 1990. Nearly 40% of the women studied sustained one or more injuries that required emergency care or resulted in death. By 1989, violence had surpassed falls as the leading cause of injuries, the rate increased by 55% over the study period. Injury rates were highest among young women for nearly every major cause of injury. The rate of death due to injuries was also highest among young women, for whom violence was the leading cause of death. In summary, injuries to women in this inner-city minority community were extremely common and increased significantly from 1987 to 1990. Injuries in young inner-city minority women should be considered a priority health problem in the United States.