Fatal Injuries in Oklahoma: Descriptive Epidemiology Using Medical Examiner Data

To characterize mortality associated with injuries and other health problems in Oklahoma, the researchers examined data from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of the State of Oklahoma for the years 1978 through 1984. Each year, approximately 1,500 and 800 deaths resulted from unintentional injury (UI) and intentional injury (suicide and homicide), respectively. The medical examiner (ME) data differed substantially from the state’s vital statistics (VS). Rates for UI and suicide were highest for young adults and for the elderly. Deaths due to UI and homicide occured more often in the summer and on weekends, though suicides did not vary by month and were slightly more common on weekdays. (8 refs)