Death due to Accidents, Poisoning and Violence among Canada’s Elderly: Trends from 1926 to 1985

This report examines the geographic differences and time trends of subcategories of accidents, poisoning, & violence (APV) using Statistics Canada data. In 1986, suicide was the 2nd leading cause of death for elderly males & 3rd leading cause for females. Male suicide rates increased by 25% from 1971-73 to 1986, while female rates were stable. Suicide rates were highest for Manitoba males & B.C. females. The APV cause of death pattern for the elderly was different than for other age groups.