Abstract

COUTIN MARIE, Gisele  and  TORRES VIDAL, Rosa María. Seasonal variation of mortality due to accidents according the selected causes:: Cuba, 1996-2006. Rev Cubana Hig Epidemiol [online]. 2010, vol.48, n.1. ISSN 0253-1751.

Introduction: In Cuba there are evidences on seasonal behavior of some death causes such as children mortality, hearth diseases and cerebrovascular diseases. The seasonal variation of accidents mortality, one of the first 5 death causes from more than 3 decades ago, has not been deeply studied. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted over 1996-2006 to identify and to describe the seasonality of deceases due to monthly accidents, according to sex and the type of selected accidents (accidental suffocation and submersion, accidental falls, smoke exposition, fire and flames and road accidents) using simple chart methods (monthly expectation curves and the boxes and moustache charts). Results: There were 53 333 accident deaths with a predominance of male sex (2 men by each woman); accidental falls accounted for the 36.8% of deaths and road accidents for the 33.4%. All death causes due to accidents had seasonality: there was predominance of accidental suffocation and submersion over June, July, and August in male sex; deaths due to accidental fall over January, February, August and December with male predominance whereas the deaths due to smoke exposition, fire and flames prevailed in female sex and its seasonality wasn't so evident. Conclusions: Seasonal variation of accidents death was demonstrated using two very simple chart methods allowing to wide this type of analysis to other death causes.

Keywords : Death seasonal variation; accidents death; time series analysis.

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