Topics in Minority Health
Impact of Homicide on Years of Potential Life Lost
in Michigan's Black Population
The public health impact of homicide varies among population
groups
and across geographic boundaries. Nationally, blacks have far
higher
homicide mortality rates and years of potential lost before age 65
(YPLL) than do other racial groups (1). In Michigan, to guide
policy
decisions and the allocation of resources for homicide prevention,
the
public health impact of this problem was defined for the state by
estimating homicide-attributable YPLL for 1985 using standard CDC
methodology (2).
When ranked by crude death rates, homicide (International
Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes E960-978)*
was
the 11th leading cause of death in Michigan in 1985. However, it
was
the fourth leading cause of total YPLL (Table 1). Homicide was the
leading cause of YPLL for black males and the third leading cause
for
black females in the state. Among males, the homicide-attributable
YPLL
rate for blacks was 16.2 times that for whites (Table 2). For
females,
the YPLL rate for blacks was 7.2 times that for whites. Blacks
constitute only 14.4% of the population but accounted for 68.3% of
the
total homicide-attributable YPLL in Michigan in 1985.
Firearms caused the majority of Michigan homicides in 1985
(65.3%),
while assault with cutting and piercing instruments was the second
most
common mens of homicide (16.6%). Firearms accounted for 72.7% of
the
homicide-attributable YPLL among blacks (77.6% among black males
and
51.5% among black females). For black victims, each firearm
homicide
resulted in an average of 34.9 YPLL, compared with 29.2 YPLL for
homicides attributable to other causes.
Reported by: DG Sienko, MD, J Thrush, MPH, KR Wilcox Jr, MD, State
Epidemiologist, Michigan Dept of Public Health. Div of Field Svcs,
Epidemiology Program Office; Epidemiology Br, Div of Injury
Epidemiology and Control, Center for Environmental Health and
Injury
Control, CDC.
Editorial Note
Editorial Note: Homicide-attributable YPLL in Michigan emphasize
the
urgent need to prevent premature mortality from homicide among
black
males and the importance of preventing injuries resulting from the
use
of firearms (3).
The homicide-attributable YPLL rate for black males in Michigan in
1985 was nearly twice that for black males nationally (34.1 per
1000
compared with 17.3 per 1000, respectively). Although blacks
constitute
14% of Michigan's population and 12% of the nation's, the
proportion
of total homicide-attributable YPLL in Michigan involving blacks is
68%
compared with 44% in the nation. These differences largely reflect
the
higher homicide rate for blacks in Michigan than for the U.S. black
population. Black homicide victims are also slightly younger than
white
victims in Michigan; in 1985, they had an average of 33 YPLL per
homicide death, compared with 31 for whites.
Examining descriptive data such as those presented here is
important
for public health agencies addressing homicide. In addition,
analytic
studies of potentially modifiable risk factors are needed. Because
67%
of Michigan's homicides in 1985 occurred in the Detroit area, these
data highlight the importance of implementing and evaluating
prevention
measures, such as the recently implemented handgun ordinance, in
Detroit. At the state level, excess homicide has led to plans to
integrate health department and police data bases for surveillance
of
homicide. These data may help define factors associated with excess
homicide in Michigan.
References
CDC. Premature mrtality due to homicides--United States,
1968-1985. MMWR 1988; 37:543-5.
2.CDC. Premature mortality in the United States: public health
issues
in the use of years of potential life lost. MMWR 1986;35(suppl 2S).
3.CDC. Premature mortality due to suicide and homicide--United
States,
1984. MMWR 1987; 36:531-4.
*This report includes homicides classified as injuries by legal
intervention, ICD-9 codes E970-977 (E978, injury by legal
execution, is
not applicable in Michigan), although previous reports on homicide
(1)
exclude these deaths.
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