Atlas of Injury Death, Australia 1990-1992
The distribution of selected causes of injury death by Statistical
Subdivision
Data Sources
This publication was compiled by NISU from Unit Record data supplied by the ABS, State Registrars of Death and Coroners. Please acknowledge data obtained from this publication as follows:
An Atlas of Injury Death in Australia 1990-1992, NISU Adelaide 1995.
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Table of Contents or the Search Forms.
Section 1 - Introduction
The purpose of this atlas.
National injury statistics provide an insight into the overall
incidence of injury. Individual States produce separate analyses
which show significant variation between States. Systematic variations
are not however restricted to the State level. NISU's Bulletin
on the spatial distribution of injury deaths in Australia: Urban
Rural and remote Areas showed significant difference in injury
patterns between areas. This injury Atlas considers an even finer
geographical dissection of Australia. It aims to provide more
information about variations from the national average with a
view to ensuring that those who plan policies and prevention strategies
can take into account these differences.
The National Injury Surveillance Unit has prepared this atlas
to test the feasibility of the routine production of such a publication
covering the peri censal triennium. It is therefore not a comprehensive
coverage of all injury types or rosk and age groups. The topics
and the geographic unit (the statistical subdivision) chosen for
mapping, are those where there were sufficient numbers for meaningful
interpretation and in which there was national interest.
The atlas should be considered as a pilot project, and comments
on its usefulness and suggestions for improving it are welcome.
Data Issues
Populations
Population data were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The data in this report were released on disc from the ABS in
September 1994 from the 1991 Census of Population and Housing.
Populations are based on the Statistical subdivision (SSD) of
usual residence. Definitions of SSD were published by the Australian
Bureau of Statistics in 1991 Census Geographic Areas Cat No. 2905.
SSDs are contiguous geographic areas made up of a number of statistical
local areas. Their boundaries are determined by the Australian
Bureau of Statistics and State and Territory governments.
Deaths
Death data are obtained in unit record form from the Australian
Bureau of Statistics. In these tables, each death has been reported
according to the Statistical Subdivision of usual residence and
the calendar year in which it was registered. Of the 23,127 deaths
registered in 1990, 1991 or 1992, 5.5% occurred before 1990.
Standardised mortality ratios
Age adjustment of data is used to calculate
overall population rates which take into account the age distribution
of the underlying population. This permits more reliable comparisons
to be made between States with different age profiles and over
time as age profiles shift. Age adjustment is to the 1991 Australian
population for which usual residence at Statistical local area
has been recorded. Standardised mortality ratios have been calculated
using the indirect method. In data referring to young males, adjustment
has been to the male population Australia aged 15 to 29 years.
Use of data based on small numbers of deaths
The tables in this report have been abridged to suppress rate
information based on 3 or fewer cases. Care must be taken when
interpreting rates based on small numbers of deaths. Information
on methods for comparing population based rate data when case
numbers are small can be obtained from NISU at NISU.
Injury Cause Classifications
Information in the mortality collection originates with coroners,
medical practitioners and persons familiar with the deceased,
is recorded by State and Territory Registrars of Births, Deaths
and Marriages, and is further processed by the ABS. The key data
item for present purposes, 'Cause of death', contains the four
digit International Classification of Diseases (ICD9) external
causes code (E-Code) attributed by ABS. The cause groups included
in this report are created by the aggregation of E-Codes.
Definitions of causes
Motor vehicle occupants
This is defined as cases where the cause of death is in the E-Code
range 810-825/.0, 810-825/.1
Unintentional injuries
This is defined as cases where the cause of death is in the E-Code
range E800-E869 , E880-E929
All injuries
This is defined as cases where the cause of death is in the E-Code
range E800-999 and therefore includes all accidents poisoning
and violence.
Suicide
This is defined as cases where the cause of death is in the E-Code
range E950-E959
Interpretation of Maps.
Injury death has been mapped according to the SMR of the SSD.
It is common when mapping to calculate ranges so that a constant
number of areas fits into each range. In this atlas however the
same aggregations of SMRs have been used across all maps. The
key to the colour-coding of SMR ranges is repeated on the first
map of each set. The number of SSDs in each SMR range differs
between the sets of maps, and is shown in the keys. This approach
means that the same colour indicates the same SMR range throughout
the atlas. The ranges were chosen to reflect the magnitude of
difference from the Australian SMR of 100. The centre range, for
example, includes SSDs with an SMR which ranges from one and a
half times lower and higher than the Australian SMR to one and
a half times higher (66.8 - 150)
Statistical Subdivisions are chosen by the ABS for administrative
reasons. They are aggregations of local government areas or Statistical
Local Areas. The death rate and other characteristics such as
age distribution and socioeconomic status within subsections of
the SSDs may vary considerably. Differences between smaller areas
are therefore masked and some sensitivity is lost. The largest
differences between SSDs are likely to occur where SSDs cover
a relatively homogenous population.
Maps should therefore be interpreted with care. They provide a
guide to injury patterns in small regions which need to be interpreted
in the light of other knowledge about the region. Their principal
use is to reveal consistent patterns which suggest that the injury
experience of some types of regions is different from that in
other regions. Such patterns may suggest avenues for prevention.
Areas with small populations will have only few injury deaths,
even over a three year period. In these areas even a small variation
in the number of deaths would cause large changes in the death
rate. For this reason the tables in this report provide information
on the number of deaths on which statistics have been calculated
and summary information on the populations of each SSD are also
provided. Confidence intervals around SMRs and crude rates have
not been shown. The information in the tables is sufficient to
permit the calculation of confidence intervals and the estimation
of probability of difference between SSDs where this is deemed
necessary. Confidence intervals are largest for the areas with
the smallest populations, therefore it is possible to have more
statistical certainty about densely populated areas. It is important
however not to refrain from making judgements about sparsely populated
areas on the grounds of statistical uncertainty when a close look
at the maps indicates that there are consistent patterns of higher
injury death rates from some causes in the less densely populated
areas. NISU Bulletin 8 The Spatial distribution of injury deaths
in Australia: Urban, Rural and Remote Areas shows that rural
and remote areas experience higher injury death rates. While differences
between individual sparsely populated areas need to be treated
with caution, it is important to consider them in the light of
broader patterns revealed by the maps.
Using the Atlas
Each set of maps shows data for Australia with enlargements for
each capital city. The corresponding tables present the equivalent
data sorted in descending SMR order. Two final sections contain
tables which show the whole range of indicators sorted in the
traditional ABS order of presenting SSDs within State or Territory
and the populations of SSDs.
The Atlas allows the reader to identify interesting patterns on
the map, obtain additional information from the accompanying data
table, including the name of the SSD and then look up the pattern
of injury for that SSD and its population in the concluding sections.
Contents
- Section 2 - Maps or Tables
- Injury Deaths To Occupants Of Motor Vehicles Australia 1990-92 (SMR by SSD).
- Section 3 - Maps or Tables
- Suicide Deaths Persons Australia 1990-92 (SMR by SSD).
- Section 4 - Maps or Tables
- Suicide Deaths Males Australia 1990-92 (SMR by SSD).
- Section 5 - Maps or Tables
- Unintentional Injury Deaths Males Australia 1990-92 (SMR by
SSD).
- Section 6 - Maps or Tables
- Unintentional Injury Deaths Females Australia 1990-92 (SMR
by SSD).
- Section 7 - Maps or Tables
- Unintentional Injury Deaths Persons Australia 1990-92 (SMR
by SSD).
- Section 8 - Maps or Tables
- All Injury Deaths Young Males 15-29 Years Old Australia 1990-92
(SMR by SSD).
- Section 9 - Count Tables, Rate Tables,
or SMR Tables
- Overview of selected types of injury death Australia 1990-1992
by SSD.
- Section 10 - Tables
- Usual Resident Population of Statistical Subdivisions 1991.
SSD/SLA Searches
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Here you can do some simple searches on Statistical SubDivisions and Statistical Local Areas.
If you are not sure of the SSD or SLA name, try the name of the local council or suburb for the
area you want to find. In many cases the Local Government Area name is the same as the Statistical
Local Area name.
SSD Query
The first option allows you to enter a Statistical Sub Division name and find what
Statistical Local Areas are grouped under that Statistical Sub Division.
SLA Query
The second option allows you to enter a Statistical Local Area name (or part of the
name) and find out in which Statistical Sub Division that name is grouped, what
other Statistical Local Areas fall into the same group, and display the selected data
for those SSDs.
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