Symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions: A leading cause of death among minorities

Thomas M. Becker; Charles L. Wiggins; Charles R. Key; Jonathan M. Samei

doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a115550

Symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions: A leading cause of death among minorities

Thomas M. Becker
, Charles L. Wiggins
, Charles R. Key
, Jonathan M. Samei

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

45 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Manual of the International Classification of Diseases, Injuries, and Causes of Death includes the category, "symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions" for nonspecific causes of death. To determine whether this categorization of cause of death is commonly applied to New Mexico's minority populations, the authors examined state vital records data for 1958-1982. Age-specific and age-adjusted death rates were calculated by 5-year Intervals for Hispanics, American Indians, and non-Hispanic whites. Death rates attributed to symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions in all three major ethnic groups in New Mexico far exceeded the national rate for whites. For males in the perIod 1978-1982, American Indians had the highest rates (115.6 per 100,000 males), followed by Hispanics (58.3 per 100,000 males), and non-Hispanic whites (49.2 per 100,000 males); the national rates were 41.3 and 13.1 per 100,000 males for blacks and whites, respectively. Comparable differences were observed among females. The authors suggest that the death rate for deaths attributed to symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions may be a potential indicator of access to and use of health services and that the categorization may strongly affect cause-specific death rates in minority populations.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	664-668
Number of pages	5
Journal	American journal of epidemiology
Volume	131
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a115550
State	Published - Apr 1990
Externally published	Yes

Funding

Received for publication August 21, 1989, and in final form October 2, 1989. 1 Department of Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM. 1Department of Family, Community, and Emergency Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM. JInterdepartmental Program in Epidemiology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM. 4 New Mexico Tumor Registry, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM. * Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM. This investigation was supported by the Flinn Foundation and by contract NO1-CN-55426 from the Biometry Branch, National Cancer Institute.

Funders	Funder number
National Institute of Health-National Cancer Institute
Flinn Foundation	NO1-CN-55426

Keywords

Cross-cultural comparison
Hispanic Americans
Indians
Mortality
North American

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Epidemiology

Access to Document

10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a115550

Cite this

@article{304f478670dd491fb4471504b7616648,

title = "Symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions: A leading cause of death among minorities",

abstract = "The Manual of the International Classification of Diseases, Injuries, and Causes of Death includes the category, {"}symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions{"} for nonspecific causes of death. To determine whether this categorization of cause of death is commonly applied to New Mexico's minority populations, the authors examined state vital records data for 1958-1982. Age-specific and age-adjusted death rates were calculated by 5-year Intervals for Hispanics, American Indians, and non-Hispanic whites. Death rates attributed to symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions in all three major ethnic groups in New Mexico far exceeded the national rate for whites. For males in the perIod 1978-1982, American Indians had the highest rates (115.6 per 100,000 males), followed by Hispanics (58.3 per 100,000 males), and non-Hispanic whites (49.2 per 100,000 males); the national rates were 41.3 and 13.1 per 100,000 males for blacks and whites, respectively. Comparable differences were observed among females. The authors suggest that the death rate for deaths attributed to symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions may be a potential indicator of access to and use of health services and that the categorization may strongly affect cause-specific death rates in minority populations.",

keywords = "Cross-cultural comparison, Hispanic Americans, Indians, Mortality, North American",

author = "Becker, \{Thomas M.\} and Wiggins, \{Charles L.\} and Key, \{Charles R.\} and Samei, \{Jonathan M.\}",

note = "Funding Information: Received for publication August 21, 1989, and in final form October 2, 1989. 1 Department of Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM. 1Department of Family, Community, and Emergency Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM. JInterdepartmental Program in Epidemiology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM. 4 New Mexico Tumor Registry, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM. * Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM. This investigation was supported by the Flinn Foundation and by contract NO1-CN-55426 from the Biometry Branch, National Cancer Institute.",

year = "1990",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a115550",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "131",

pages = "664--668",

journal = "American journal of epidemiology",

issn = "0002-9262",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions

T2 - A leading cause of death among minorities

AU - Becker, Thomas M.

AU - Wiggins, Charles L.

AU - Key, Charles R.

AU - Samei, Jonathan M.

N1 - Funding Information: Received for publication August 21, 1989, and in final form October 2, 1989. 1 Department of Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM. 1Department of Family, Community, and Emergency Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM. JInterdepartmental Program in Epidemiology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM. 4 New Mexico Tumor Registry, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM. * Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM. This investigation was supported by the Flinn Foundation and by contract NO1-CN-55426 from the Biometry Branch, National Cancer Institute.

PY - 1990/4

Y1 - 1990/4

N2 - The Manual of the International Classification of Diseases, Injuries, and Causes of Death includes the category, "symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions" for nonspecific causes of death. To determine whether this categorization of cause of death is commonly applied to New Mexico's minority populations, the authors examined state vital records data for 1958-1982. Age-specific and age-adjusted death rates were calculated by 5-year Intervals for Hispanics, American Indians, and non-Hispanic whites. Death rates attributed to symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions in all three major ethnic groups in New Mexico far exceeded the national rate for whites. For males in the perIod 1978-1982, American Indians had the highest rates (115.6 per 100,000 males), followed by Hispanics (58.3 per 100,000 males), and non-Hispanic whites (49.2 per 100,000 males); the national rates were 41.3 and 13.1 per 100,000 males for blacks and whites, respectively. Comparable differences were observed among females. The authors suggest that the death rate for deaths attributed to symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions may be a potential indicator of access to and use of health services and that the categorization may strongly affect cause-specific death rates in minority populations.

AB - The Manual of the International Classification of Diseases, Injuries, and Causes of Death includes the category, "symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions" for nonspecific causes of death. To determine whether this categorization of cause of death is commonly applied to New Mexico's minority populations, the authors examined state vital records data for 1958-1982. Age-specific and age-adjusted death rates were calculated by 5-year Intervals for Hispanics, American Indians, and non-Hispanic whites. Death rates attributed to symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions in all three major ethnic groups in New Mexico far exceeded the national rate for whites. For males in the perIod 1978-1982, American Indians had the highest rates (115.6 per 100,000 males), followed by Hispanics (58.3 per 100,000 males), and non-Hispanic whites (49.2 per 100,000 males); the national rates were 41.3 and 13.1 per 100,000 males for blacks and whites, respectively. Comparable differences were observed among females. The authors suggest that the death rate for deaths attributed to symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions may be a potential indicator of access to and use of health services and that the categorization may strongly affect cause-specific death rates in minority populations.

KW - Cross-cultural comparison

KW - Hispanic Americans

KW - Indians

KW - Mortality

KW - North American

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/0025257414

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/0025257414#tab=citedBy

U2 - 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a115550

DO - 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a115550

M3 - Article

C2 - 2316498

AN - SCOPUS:0025257414

SN - 0002-9262

VL - 131

SP - 664

EP - 668

JO - American journal of epidemiology

JF - American journal of epidemiology

IS - 4

ER -

Symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions: A leading cause of death among minorities

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this