Disparities Seen in Traumatic Brain Injury-Related Mortality

FRIDAY, Jan. 10, 2025 (HealthDay News) — There are disparities in traumatic brain injury (TBI)-related mortality, with the highest rates seen for older adults, men, and non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native persons, according to a study published online Jan. 10 in Brain Injury.

Alexis Peterson, Ph.D., from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and colleagues examined disparities in TBI-related mortality in the United States during 2021 by geography, sociodemographic characteristics, mechanism of injury, and injury intent.

The researchers identified 69,473 TBI-related deaths during 2021. Older adults, men, and non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native persons had the highest rates. Unintentional falls and suicides accounted for a large proportion of all TBI-related deaths. A divergent pattern was seen in TBI mortality rates, with increasing rates by age group; when compared with non-Hispanic White persons, rate ratios simultaneously declined with age among specific racial/ethnic groups.

“While anyone is at risk for getting a TBI, some groups have a higher chance than others of dying from one,” Peterson said in a statement. “In addition to men, older adults are especially at risk, with unintentional falls being a major cause of TBI-related death. American Indian or Alaska Native people also have higher rates of these fatal injuries.”

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