Online databases and query-based reporting systems

Query Results

Online Database or Online Query-Based Report

Query: Injury results

For the specific injury I selected to research using CDC WISQARS, I selected homicide injury deaths and rates per 100,000 persons for African-American males ages 15-19 and received the following results:

2010, United States

Homicide Injury Deaths and Rates per 100,000

Age Group

Race

Sex

Deaths

Crude

Black

Males

1,917,774

It should be noted that, as a point of comparison, the rate for white males is as follows:

White

Males

There is thus a notable discrepancy between the percentages of the population of young, adolescent African-American males who are the victims of homicides vs. white males. From a healthcare provider's standpoint this is significant for several reasons. A nurse or other healthcare professional must treat 'the whole patient,' which means addressing the patient's environmental and social influences, not simply the biological influences to which the patient is subject. The statistics suggest that there are social problems with which young, black males are coping that extend far beyond that of an individual healthcare problem. As the roots of the problem are collective in nature, so must be the solution.

It is essential that healthcare providers appreciate the additional risk to which a young, black male is subjected. If the patient is engaging in high-risk behavior likely to result in his becoming the victim of homicide, or simply lives in a high-risk environment, it is incumbent upon the provider to engage in a strategy to provide the patient with more positive influences. This may involve encouraging the patient to seek out extracurricular activities that are safe and protect him from violence, for example. Treatment does not simply mean taking care of the patient after a physical injury has occurred.

The CDC statistics confirm other studies which indicate that homicide rates for young, African-American males are rising. "The number of homicides involving black youths -- as victims and perpetrators -- surged by more than 30% from 2002 to 2007" according to a recent report by Northeastern University with guns being the most common method of death (Why are so many young black men being murdered, 2008, NPR). The study also found that "426 black males ages 14-17 died in gun crimes -- 40% more than in 2000; nearly 1,000 young black males used guns to kill someone in 2007 -- 38% higher than in 2000" (Why are so many young black men being murdered, 2008, NPR).