Accident-related mortality in Southern Khorasan Province in 2010

Causes of death vary globally, and they depend regionally on lifestyle and socio-cultural factors. The purpose of this study was to determine accident-related mortality in Southern Khorasan Province, Iran, in the year 2010. This descriptive-analytical study involved all the death cases in the year 2010 in Southern Khorasan. The data were collected from the death registration system, and were classified and analyzed according to the codes of the 10th revision of the International Classification of Deaths (ICD). From among the 3,792 deaths in 2010, n=633 (16.7%) were accident-related. Of accident-related deaths, 73.6% (n=450) of the deceased persons were male. The highest rate of mortality belonged to Summer (July 23 to Aug 22) (n=203; 32.1%). The median age in accident-related deaths was 36.6±21.9 years with the minimum age of 5 days and maximum age of 92 years. The leading cause of mortality was traffic accidents (52.1%) and violence (18%). The median age of the deceased women in accidents was significantly higher than men (P<0.048) and in rural persons more than urban people (P=0.02), with Surgical complications as the least frequent cause of death. Since road traffic accidents rank first in accident-related mortality, it is recommended to have measures to improve road safety as well as quality and safety of vehicles, and to establish strict rules for those who disobey traffic rules.