HEALTH STATUS Adolescent

A D O L E S C E N T   M O R T A L I T Y

LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH IN ADOLESCENTS AGES 15-19:  1998

Source (II.4):  National Center for Health Statistics

In 1998, there were 13,788 deaths of ado-

lescents aged 15-19 years. In that age group,

Mortality Ages 15-19

injury was the leading cause of death. The

6,590 injury deaths accounted for 48 percent of

Unintentional Injury

33.6

all deaths among 15- to 19-year-olds in 1998.

Homicide

11.7

Homicide and suicide were the next leading

Suicide

8.9

causes of death, accounting for 17 and 13 per-

Malignant Neoplasms

3.7

cent, respectively of all deaths among 15- to

Diseases of the Heart

2.1

19-year-olds. Mortality among teenagers

declined substantially between 1960 and the

early 1980s. There was a moderate increase in

External Causes

mortality among 15- to 19-year-olds in the mid

Mortality Ages 15-19*

to late 1980s. The death rate among that age

Motor Vehicle Crashes

26.4

group has decreased almost 19 percent since

Firearms

16.3

1993.

Suffocation

2.8

Motor vehicle crashes were the leading

Drowning

cause of injury mortality among 15- to 19-year-

2.3

olds in 1998, accounting for approximately 78

Poisoning

2.2

percent of all injury deaths among teenagers.

Firearms were the next leading cause of injury

Age-Specific Death Rate per 100,000 Population

death, representing 23 percent of all injury

deaths among 15- to 19-year-olds.

*Including homicides, suicides, unintentional deaths, and those of undetermined intent.

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