The rate of death by injury for males is always greater than the rate for females. From early adulthood to retirement age at 65, injury rates for men reduce slowly, but are always higher than the rates for women during these years in the work force. Increases in injury rates are found for both men and women after age 65. In the 65-74 age group, injury rates increase more dramatically among women than among men, primarily due to falls. Within the elderly population, aged 65 and over, rates of nonfatal injuries among women overtake and remain higher than the rates for men.
Injuries are costly.
The advent of the Patient Abstract System allows a more complete picture of the incidence of injury in Missouri. Quantitative studies assessing the magnitude and scop e of injury in Missouri are important. Information from the Patient Abstract System is of great value, for example, in both developing and evaluating prevention strategies, safety education and awareness programs, highway safety interventions, and efforts to reduce workplace injury. Channel Publishing Co., 1995. 2 Missouri Dept. of Health, Missouri Vital Statistics.