Trends in youth mortality in Israel, 1984-1995.

BACKGROUND Investigation of causes of death can help inform intervention policy aimed at reducing preventable mortality. OBJECTIVES To assess mortality causes and trends over time and identify target groups with excessive mortality rates among Israeli youth aged 10-24, in order to formulate an intervention policy for prevention of adolescent mortality. METHODS Mortality data for Israeli residents aged 10-24 were extracted from the Central Bureau of Statistics computerized death certificate file for the period 1984-95. Trends were evaluated by cause of death and demographic characteristics. RESULTS The crude mortality rate among Israeli youth aged 10-24, during 1993-1995, was 39.6 per 100,000. Rates were 2.7 times higher among males, increased with age, and reached a peak among 18-21 year olds. Rates were 1.4 times higher among Arabs than among Jews. The sharp increase in mortality among Jewish males of military service age (18-21 years) was due mainly to motor vehicle crashes and suicide. Although overall mortality decreased by 9.4% from 1984-86 to 1993-95, the gap between the subgroups increased. MVC-related mortality increased over time by 100% among Arab males. The rate of completed suicide among Jewish males increased by 110%. Although injury-related mortality is lower in Israel compared with the U.S., similar demographic differentials and trends were found in both countries. CONCLUSIONS Suicide among Jewish males of military service age, as well as MVC fatalities among Arab males, present a growing public health issue. Intervention strategies should therefore be targeted towards these subgroups in order to minimize the rates of preventable death.