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Data Elements and Report Options

4.0 Data Elements and Report Options

This section provides a brief overview of the data elements and the specific categories available from WISQARS NVDRS reports.

The data elements in the main report options are summarized in Table 4.0.

For a complete listing of all NVDRS data elements, definitions, and coding guidelines, see the National Violent Death Reporting System Coding Manual, Version 2.

Table 4.0 Summary of Data Elements and Report Options

See table here

The advanced report options address age selection and output groups. (See 6.0 Advanced Options.)

4.1 Data Element: Mode of Determining Manner or Cause

Mode of Determining Manner or Cause has two options:

  • Abstracter Assigned
  • ICD-10 Underlying Cause of Death Codes

The Abstracter Assigned mode represents that abstracter's determination of the manner or cause of death for a victim based on a review of all of the information available from death certificates, medical examiner/coroner reports, and police reports. For general use, the Abstractor Assigned mode is recommended because it includes all available data sources in determining the manner or cause of death.

The ICD-10 Underlying Cause of Death Codes mode uses the ICD-10 underlying cause of death codes assigned on the victim’s death certificate to define the manner or cause of death. Use this mode when comparing deaths and death rates that are based solely on data from vital statistics systems.

4.2 Data Elements: Intent (Manner) and Cause (Mechanism) of Injury

This section provides definitions of intent or manner of injury for the Abstractor Assigned mode and the ICD-10 Underlying Cause of Death Codes mode for determining manner or cause of death.

4.2.1 Intent (Manner) of Injury

The intent (manner) of injury categories differ for the Abstracter Assigned mode and the ICD-10 Underlying Cause of Death Codes mode.

For the Abstracter Assigned mode, the intent of injury has the following options:

  • All intents, or any combination of the following
    • Unintentional firearm
    • Homicide
    • Legal Intervention
    • Suicide
    • Undetermined intent
    • Homicide followed by suicide

For the ICD-10 Underlying Cause of Death Codes mode, the intent of injury has the following categories:

  • All intents, or any combination of the following
    • Unintentional firearm
    • Homicide
    • Legal Intervention
    • Suicide
    • Undetermined intent

Homicide followed by suicide incidents cannot be determined using ICD-10 codes. The ICD-10 codes used to define intent categories are given in Table 4.2.1.

Table 4.2.1 ICD-10 External Causes of Death Codes for Manner of Death

Manner of Death Death <1 year
after the injury		 Death >1 year
after the injury
Unintentional firearm W32-W34 Y86 determined to be due to firearms
Assault (homicide) X85-X99,Y00-Y09 Y87.1
Legal intervention excluding executions, Y35.5 Y35(.0-.4),Y35(.6,.7) Y89.0
Intentional self harm (suicide) X60-X84 Y87.0
Event of undetermined intent Y10-Y34 Y87.2, Y89.9

4.2.2 Cause (Mechanism) of Injury

The cause (mechanism) of injury categories differ for the Abstracter Assigned mode and the ICD-10 Underlying Cause of Death Codes mode.

For the Abstracter Assigned mode, cause of injury is determined using type of weapon/method used in the incident as recorded on the death certificate, medical examiner/coroner report, or the police report. WISQARS NVDRS offers more detailed categories of some causes of injury (firearms, poisoning, struck by/against) using this mode compared to the ICD-10 Underlying Cause of Death Codes mode.

The major cause (mechanism) of injury categories available for the Abstracter Assigned or the ICD-10 Underlying Cause of Death Code modes are:

  •  All injury, or any combination of the following
    • Firearm
    • Cut/Pierce/Stab with sharp instrument
    • Struck by/against
    • Poisoning
    • Hanging, strangulation, suffocation
    • Fall
    • Drowning
    • Fire/Burn
    • Motor vehicle, including cars, vans, SUVs, buses, motorcycles and others
    • Intentional neglect
    • Other
    • Unknown

Cause (mechanism) of injury subcategories available for selected causes using the Abstracter Assigned mode are:

Firearm

  • All, or any combination of the following
    • Handgun
    • Shotgun
    • Rifle
    • Other firearm
    • Combination of firearms
    • Unknown/Not Reported

Poisoning

  • All, or any combination of the following
    • Street/recreational drugs only
    • Alcohol only
    • Prescription drugs only
    • Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs only
    • Carbon monoxide or other gas only
    • Multiple drug combinations
    • Other specified poison
    • Unknown drugs/Not reported

Struck by/against

  •  All, or any combination of the following
    • Blunt instrument
    • Personal weapons (hands, fist, feet)

The ICD-10 Underlying Cause of Death codes used to define major cause of injury categories for all intents and by specific intents of injury are given in Table 4.2.2.

Table 4.2.2 NVDRS ICD-10 External Cause (Mechanism) of Injury Matrix for Major Causes of Injury

See table here

4.3 Data Element: Type of Victim-Suspect Relationship

Type of Victim-Suspect Relationship describes the relationship of the victim to the suspect and includes eleven options:

  • All, or any combination of the following
    • Spouse or other intimate partner (current or ex-spouse/partner)
    • Parent
    • Child
    • Other relative
    • Victim injured by intimate partner of relative (e.g., child killed by mother's boyfriend)
    • Acquaintance or friend
    • Rival gang member
    • Stranger
    • Victim injured by law enforcement officer
    • Other specified relationship
    • Unknown relationship

For incidents with multiple victims, all victim-suspect relationships relevant to the incident will be counted.

4.4 Data Element: Year(s) of Report (Violent Death)

The Year(s) of Report option represents all incidents recorded for the year(s) selected. The recorded "year of the incident" is the calendar year in which the victim died. For incidents with multiple deaths, the year of the incident is the first year in which any of the victims in the incident died.

4.5 Data Element: State(s)

States include those states that are participating in NVDRS and are reporting all resident violent deaths occurring within the state. Nonresident deaths are excluded.

States can be selected in State Groups or as Individual States. States are grouped depending on the years of available data. Seven states (Alaska, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, South Carolina, Virginia) have statewide data available for years 2003-2005; 13 states (Alaska, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin) have statewide data available for 2004-2005; and 16 states (Alaska, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin) have statewide data for 2005.

Although California participates and submits data to the NVDRS, data are not collected statewide. Therefore, California is not included in WISQARS NVDRS.

4.6 Data Element: Race, Ethnicity (Hispanic Origin), and Sex of Victim/Suspect

Race data are in five categories: all races, white, black, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian/Pacific Islander.

The NVDRS allows for recording multiple race categories for each victim or suspect. However, in WISQAR NVDRS, race is reported as a single race category based on race information obtained from one or more of the following data sources: death certificate (DC), coroner/medical examiner report (CME), the FBI supplemental homicide report (SHR), and the police report (PR). The race category for each victim or suspect is assigned based on a primacy rule using race data from the DC, CME, SHR and PR, respectively. For example, if the death certificate of a victim reports a single race (white, black, American Indian or Asian/Pacific Islander), then that category is assigned to the victim. If the DC reports multiple races or unknown race, then race data on the CME is checked and so on until as many victims and suspects as possible have been assigned a single race category. The remainder are either assigned "Other" for multiple races or "Unknown." For victims, only a few are classified as Other (~0.1%) and Unknown (~0.6%) race. For suspects, more are classified as Other (~2.5%) and Unknown (~26%) because the information was not available. Counts of victims or suspects classified as Other/Unknown can be obtained by selecting Race on the Output Groups option

Ethnicity (Hispanic Origin) has four categories: all ethnicities, Hispanic, non-Hispanic, unknown.

Sex has three categories: both sexes, male, female.

For victims, very few were classified as unknown (< 0.001%). For suspects, about 10% were classified as unknown sex because gender information was not available. Counts of victims or suspects classified as unknown can be obtained by selecting Sex in the Output Groups option.

4.7 Data Element: Place of Injury

Place of Injury indicates the type of place at which injury of the victim occurred and has nine categories:

  • All
  • House/apartment/yard/driveway
  • Residential institution/shelter/prison
  • Highway/street/road/automobile
  • Recreational/cultural area/public building
  • Commercial/farm/industrial/construction area
  • Natural area/countryside/forest
  • Other including school/sports areas
  • Unknown/missing

4.8 Data Element: Homeless Status

Homeless Status indicates whether the victim was homeless at the time of the incident and includes four categories: all, homeless, not homeless, unknown/missing.

4.9 Data Element: Pregnancy Status

Pregnancy Status indicates whether the victim was pregnant or recently pregnant at the time of death and has four categories: all, pregnant, not pregnant, unknown/missing.

4.10 Data Element: Military Status

Military Status indicates whether or not the victim served in the U.S. Armed Forces and has four categories: all, current/former military, non-military, unknown/missing.

4.11 Data Element: Homicide and Legal Intervention Circumstances

Selected circumstances for victims of Homicide and Legal Intervention incidents:

  • All persons with known circumstances
  • Intimate partner violence-related
  • Argument over money/property
  • Other argument/abuse/conflict
  • Precipitated by another crime
  • Crime in progress
  • Drug involvement
  • Brawl (3 or more persons involved in a mutual physical fight)
  • Jealousy (lovers' triangle)
  • Victim used weapon
  • Gang related
  • Victim was a bystander
  • Mercy killing
  • Hate crime
  • Justifiable self defense/law enforcement
  • Victim was assisting a crime victim

4.12 Data Element: Suicide/Undetermined Death Circumstances

Selected circumstances of victims of Suicide and Undetermined Death incidents:

  • All persons with known circumstances
  • Current depressed mood
  • Current mental health problems
  • Current treatment for mental health problem
  • Ever treated for mental health problem
  • Person left a suicide note
  • Disclosed intent to commit suicide
  • History of suicide attempts
  • Crisis in past 2 wks
  • Intimate partner problem
  • Other relationship problem
  • Physical health problem
  • Alcohol dependence
  • Other substance problem
  • Recent criminal legal problem
  • Other legal problems
  • Job problem
  • Financial problem
  • School problem
  • Suicide of family or friend in the past five years
  • Other death of family or friend in the past five years
  • Perpetrator of interpersonal violence in the past month
  • Victim of interpersonal violence in the past month

4.13 Data Element: Unintentional Firearm Death Circumstances

Selected circumstances of victims of Unintentional Firearm Death Circumstances:

  • All persons with known circumstances
  • Hunting
  • Target shooting
  • Self defensive shooting
  • Celebratory firing
  • Loading/unloading gun
  • Cleaning gun
  • Showing gun to others
  • Playing with gun
  • Other context of injury
  • Thought safety was engaged
  • Thought unloaded, magazine disengaged
  • Thought gun was unloaded, other
  • Unintentionally pulled trigger
  • Bullet ricochet
  • Gun defect or malfunction
  • Fired while holstering/unholstering
  • Dropped gun
  • Fired while operating safety/lock
  • Gun mistaken for toy
  • Other mechanism of injury

 

Content Source: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Office of Statistics and Programming
Page last modified:November 18, 2008